Proposed date for trial to resume is....
April 16, 2018!
Apparently, the start date will be confirmed in mid-February, and the trial is expected to last for the remainder of the year.
We will keep you posted on any developments. And, in the meantime, here's hoping you all have a healthy and happy holiday season. We'll be in touch in the new year.
We shouldn't use the word Final...
It has been awhile since there has been an update on the trial. That is because there has been no final date set, or rather the date keeps moving forward as the main parties in the case (Cambie and the B.C. Government) continue to argue various applications about court procedure and admissibility of witnesses, among other issues. The next suggested date for the trial to resume is January 22, 2018. We will keep you posted.
Final Trial Start Date: October 30
At a Case Management Meeting, the judge gave the consent to move the start date of the trial to October 30th (baring a major development, this is a hard date). The Plaintiff's case will continue in court for 6 weeks in 2017, plus a few weeks in the new year.
Read moreNEW trial start date: October 16, 2017
As the lawyers are working through their applications and trial planning over the summer, they realized that more time was needed before the trial could re-start. The new trial start date is October 16, 2017. With more case management meetings to come, it's possible it could be pushed back further - we'll see.
New report highlights extent of extra-billing
New report shows patients subject to thousands in illegal extra user-fees in private clinics.
Canada's health coalitions released a new report, “Private Clinics and the Threat to Public Medicare in Canada”.
Surveys of hundreds of private health clinics and patients across Canada reveal that extra user-fees amounting to hundreds or thousands of dollars are threatening access to health care and hurting patients.
The cross-Canada study includes survey results of 136 private hospital, diagnostic and “boutique” physician clinics across Canada and almost 400 individual Ontario patients. Clinics and patients were asked about extra user-charges for needed health care services.
Trial is adjourned until September 2017 (at least)
On April 10th the judge agreed to an adjournment of the trial until at least September 5, 2017. Over the next four months all the parties will be working to ensure their documentation (witness lists and statements, expert reports and counter-reports, agreement on common book of documents etc.) is finalized and any outstanding applications are handled.
Read moreSummary of trial at its (maybe) half way point
March 17th marked Day 78 of the Cambie Corp vs B.C. Charter Challenge, which officially got underway in BC Supreme Court on September 6, 2016. It is estimated that the trial could go until as late as mid-December 2017 (including various breaks), so we could be almost, maybe, be about half way through the trial, at least at the Provincial Supreme Court level. It felt like a good time to give a summary of the action in the courtroom to date.
Read moreTrial update for next 3 weeks (Feb 28 - Mar 6 & 13)
This week, court will NOT be in session. For the following two weeks, starting March 6, the court will be dealing with various applications from both the plaintiffs (Cambie) and the defendants (BC). Witnesses for the plaintiffs will once again take the stand the week of March 27 and this will continue at least through mid-May. This is all subject to change, as always.
Trial update for weeks of February 13 & 20
Court was in session only one day this week: February 14. Next week (February 20-14), court will be in session all week, with the Plaintiffs continuing to bring forward their witnesses.
Court will NOT be in session the week of February 28 - March 3.
Trial Update for week of January 29
The court is not in session this week. The plaintiffs will continue their case next week (February 6-10). Generally, the court is in session for 3 weeks, then off for 1 week.
Read more