March 22, 2021
Tribunal will set automatic mediation dates starting April 6, 2021. When the Tribunal notifies the parties that a complaint is proceeding, it will set a mediation date. Mediation remains voluntary. Parties can opt out or ask for a date change, if necessary. This change is aimed to gain efficiencies in the process by reducing delay and removing the time-consuming task of canvassing parties for their availability.
March 22, 2021
The Tribunal has made two minor amendments to its Rules of Practice and Procedure:
- Rule 12 is amended for consistency with the BC Court of Appeal’s decision in Gichuru v. Vancouver Swing Society, 2021 BCCA 103. Where rule 12(2) is satisfied, the Tribunal is adopting the language of “proceeding with a complaint” rather than “accepting the complaint for filing”.
- Rule 14 is amended for consistency with the Tribunal’s new practice that permits participants to agree to the terms of an Agreement to Participate in Mediation without signing the Agreement.