November 25, 2024
Laurie Tucker via email: ltucker@burntucker.com
President, Ontario Trial Lawyers Association
Kelly McDermott via email: kelly.mcdermott@durham.ca
President, Ontario Bar Association
Dominique T. Hussey via email: husseyd@bennettjones.com
President, The Advocates’ Society
Dear Counsel:
Re: Central East Region Blitz Civil Trial Sittings
I enclose the January 2025 Civil Blitz Trial List. This list details the matters that may be called during the upcoming civil trial sittings, scheduled to commence on January 6, 2025, and continue for three weeks. Please note that the position on the list, whether number one or number five, does not indicate priority. Counsel should be prepared to proceed whenever called during these three weeks.
For adjournment requests, if the adjournment is on consent and requested for the first time, it must be made in-writing to Regional Senior Justice Edwards. If it is the second adjournment request, or if it is opposed, it will go to triage court. Contested adjournment will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Where a request for an adjournment is contested those requests are to be heard by appointment in the Triage Court held every Tuesday.
All civil jury trials that are scheduled to be heard during the January 2025 sittings will be required to attend in person at the courthouse of the court centre in which their action commenced to select their juries on January 6, 2025 at 9:30am. Counsel/parties are expected to be prepared to begin their jury selection on this date.
Please also note that Trial Coordinators will not be contacting counsel to inform them that their matter is included in the enclosed Trial List. In addition to sending this communication to the Bar Associations, the Trial List will be posted on the court’s website under “Notices and Guides” for the Central East Region. For your convenience, the link is: https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/practice/regional-practice-directions/central-east/
To ensure timely notification, I kindly ask you to distribute the Trial List along with this letter to all members in your respective Associations.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Yours vey truly,
MR. JUSTICE MARK L. J. EDWARDS
REGIONAL SENIOR JUDGE
/ak
Encl. January 2025 Civil Blitz Trial List