On May 10 and 11, 2018, the Ontario Bar Association Insurance Law Section put together a two-day program of presentations, demonstrations and interactive dialogue pertaining to all aspects of the trial process.
An impressive faculty was put together for this program, which included no less than eight judges as faculty members. The program also had a deep roster of some of the most senior and prolific litigators practising in the area of personal injury and insurance law.
The program was chaired by Audrey Ramsay, Philippa Samworth, Brian Bangay and John McLeish. It brought together over 100 attendees, which allowed for great networking opportunities.
The program began with opening remarks and a discussion about the documents needed to prepare a trial and how to start a trial. A live presentation of opening statements from defence and plaintiff’s counsel followed. Direct examinations and cross-examinations of lay witnesses and experts were also conducted, and the judicial faculty provided commentary. The program concluded with closing arguments from plaintiff and defence counsel and a decision from the jury. Following the jury verdict, a discussion with respect to post verdict concerns took place which provided helpful tips and practical ways of dealing with many common issues that arise following a trial.
The program was not without a special accident benefit component as senior counsel provided practical trial tips that would be useful at the Licensing Appeal Tribunal.
All attendees were provided with a vast array of written materials, which included articles on how to prepare and conduct a trial, written opening and closing statements and sample questions to be asked as part of the examination process.
A special thank-you to the chairs and the faculty who helped make this program a great success.
Next year’s Anatomy of a Trial program will be held on May 9-10, 2019.
About the author
Chris Martyr is a Partner at Dutton Brock LLP and has a general insurance defence litigation practice. He acts on behalf of insurers on various personal injury, general liability, property and subrogation matters in addition to providing opinions on insurance coverage issues and is the past chair of the Ontario Bar Association Insurance Law Section.
Any article or other information or content expressed or made available in this Section is that of the respective author and not of the OBA.