Bringing civil and family cases to Canadian courts has reached a crisis point due to years of delays, according to a lawyers group dedicated to access to justice issues.
The Advocates Society, a national organization of lawyers dedicated to justice issues, says the worst delays are in Ontario, where litigants can expect to wait up to five years to have a dispute settled by a judge.
Advocates Society’s snapshot of worst court delays in Canada:
Quebec: Litigants wait an average of 593 days between filing claims for less than $15,000 and trial. Alberta: It takes 9 months for a 20-minute application heard by a judge, 2 to 3 years for
