What is a case conference in Ontario civil litigation?
A case conference is a court-supervised meeting between the parties and a judge or case management master to manage how a case is progressing. In Ontario, case conferences are used in case-managed proceedings to set timetables, resolve procedural disputes, and identify the issues that actually need to be tried.
At a case conference, the judicial officer reviews the status of the litigation, confirms steps that still need to be completed (such as discovery or production), and can make orders about timelines. In some circumstances, a case conference judge can also encourage or assist with settlement, though a pre-trial conference is more focused on that goal.
Case conferences are meant to keep litigation moving and proportionate. If a party is not meeting deadlines or is causing delay, the other side can raise this at a case conference and seek orders compelling compliance. Case conferences are generally shorter and less formal than hearings on contested motions. Your lawyer will typically attend with you or on your behalf and prepare a brief case conference brief in advance.
Key takeaways
- Case conferences are supervised meetings to manage the progress of a civil case.
- They are used to set timetables, resolve disputes, and narrow issues for trial.
- A judge or case management master presides.
- They keep litigation moving and give courts oversight over slow-moving cases.