At the 2023 Opening of the Courts ceremony, the Chief Justice explained the need for rapid reform as follows:
‘You may recall that I spoke of the need to make major changes in civil proceedings at last year’s Opening of Courts, in order to address what is now all too often a 4-to-5-year timeline to get to trial. As I stated last year, the Court runs the risk of becoming irrelevant in civil proceedings if action is not taken now.
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the Rules of Civil Procedure were meant to provide us with a roadmap to resolution; but instead, civil proceedings have become bogged down by process. They have become a maze that is difficult for many to navigate. The Rules should be a tool for supporting access to justice, not a barrier.
I am grateful for the support of Attorney General Downey and Deputy Attorney General Corbett who share my vision for a civil justice system that is effective, relevant, responsive and timely. Reform of the Rules is an essential tool to achieving those objectives and to addressing our ever-growing backlog. I am pleased to announce that work on the details and timeframes for a revision of the Civil Rules is forthcoming. We will be working collaboratively with the Ministry to assemble a team who will dedicate their focus to a reform of the rules and to ensure that while the process will engage all the necessary stakeholders, the objective is to get this done! This is a priority project. It must be done and must be completed on an expedited basis.
Each rule must be reviewed and considered to identify which are in need of reform and revision. I would like to see the reform of the Rules completed in two years’ time. I acknowledge this is an ambitious timeline, but to fix the problems plaguing our civil justice system, we must dedicate ourselves towards this target. Mr. Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General Corbett, I know you both support this objective. I value your support. I look forward to working with you both to get this done.”
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