The CICB may order an oral, electronic or written hearing. If we order an oral hearing, we will assign the application to one or two adjudicators, called members. The member(s) will review the written material you provide and hear evidence before making a decision.
To be considered the legal representative of record, you must provide us with written confirmation from your client. If you are helping a client during the application process, have them complete the "Legal Representation" section of the application form. If your client hires you after they have submitted an application, send us a completed Notice of Legal Representation. The notice is on the Forms and Filing section of our website at sjto.ca/cicb.
When the file is ready to be heard, you will receive a notice of hearing with the date, time and location of the hearing. Both you and your client are required to attend the hearing. If this is not possible, submit a written request for an adjournment and include detailed reasons in support of the request as soon as possible after you become aware of the need for the adjournment.
Oral hearings are generally open to the public, but may be closed if:
If your client has concerns about participating in an open hearing, tell us during the application process.
Oral hearings are usually scheduled for 90 minutes. We may, however, allow more time if, for example:
Please arrive 15 minutes before the hearing. If either you or your client is late, the adjudicators will not have a full hour to devote to the case, as they will need to proceed with the next scheduled hearing.
If you expect you will need more time to present evidence and arguments, provide written submissions to the CICB before the hearing. You must provide all of the relevant material no later than 14 days before the hearing (see: Rule 14.5 of the Rules of Procedure).
We may direct you to provide a copy or notice of the submission to the other parties before we deal with the matter.
If your client does not attend an oral hearing, we may proceed without them (See Section 7 of the Statutory Powers Procedure Act.) The adjudicators will make their decision based on the documentary evidence in the file and oral evidence of any witnesses.
We conduct oral hearings in 21 locations across Ontario. We try to hold the hearing in the location closest to where the applicant lives or in a neighbouring community. If you find it difficult to travel to the hearing site, notify us immediately.
After the hearing, the adjudicators will reach a decision based on all of the evidence presented. The adjudicators may communicate their decision on the day of the hearing but sometimes they will make their decision on another day. If your client is awarded compensation, a cheque will be mailed to them 30 days after the CICB has sent its Order.
For more information, see the Application and Hearing Process section on the CICB website at sjto.ca/cicb.
Last updated: February 2018