Mastering Civil Litigation 2026: Select Topics Edition

Course Chairs
Justice Jacqueline D. Hughes — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Rebecca J. Robb — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Justice Hughes was appointed to the BC Supreme Court in February 2022. Justice Hughes' background includes extensive experience in complex civil and constitutional litigation.

She articled and practised with a national law firm before joining Hunter Litigation Chambers in 2008, where she focused her practice on corporate and commercial disputes. In 2015, Justice Hughes joined the BC Ministry of Attorney General, where she was senior legal counsel with conduct of a wide variety of constitutional and administrative law files that gave her occasion to appear before all levels of the BC courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. She was also lead counsel to the Province in the Cullen Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in BC.

Justice Hughes has been a frequent contributor to continuing legal education through CLEBC, the Advocates' Society, and the UBC Peter A. Allard School of Law, where she taught as an adjunct professor and continues to act a guest instructor in advocacy skills. She is also a long-time contributing editor of a leading civil procedure text, The Conduct of Civil Litigation in British Columbia.

Rebecca Robb is litigation counsel at Hunter Litigation Chambers. She practices civil, administrative, regulatory and criminal law, and has appeared before all levels of the courts of BC, the Federal Court of Appeal and various administrative tribunals. Rebecca has been recognized in Lexpert, Best Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation and Legal 500.

Rebecca is a graduate of the Juris Doctor/Master of Arts (International Affairs) program at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Rebecca clerked for the Supreme Court of BC in 2012-13. Rebecca serves on the board of directors of Access Pro Bono and is a member of the CBA (BC Branch) Advisory Committee to the Judicial Council. Rebecca is an active contributor to continuing legal education in BC on various advocacy topics.

Faculty
Chief Justice Ron A. Skolrood — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Justice Lauren Blake — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Justice Brook Greenberg — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Justice Matthew Kirchner — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Justice Julie K. Lamb — Supreme Court of BC, New Westminster
Justice Shannon Ramsay — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Justice Neena Sharma — Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Gurprit Bains — Beach Avenue Barristers, Vancouver
Laura L. Bevan — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver
Tam C. Boyar — MacKay Boyar Law Corporation, Vancouver
Gavin Cameron — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver 
Heather Doi — Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP, Vancouver
Arpal Dosanjh — Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP, Vancouver
Craig A.B. Ferris, KC — Lawson Lundell LLP, Vancouver 
Alandra K. Harlingten — Lovett Westmacott, Victoria
Claire E. Hunter, KC — Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver
Owen J. James — Dennis Dawson James Aitken LLP, Vancouver 
Emily Lapper, KC — Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver 
Jessica Lithwick — Sugden, McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver
Jamie F. Maclaren, KC — Access Pro Bono Society of BC, Vancouver
Andrew I. Nathanson, KC — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Una Radoja — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
Chantelle Rajotte, KC — Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Attorney General, Vancouver
John M. Rice, KC — Rice Parsons Leoni & Elliott LLP, Vancouver
Peter R. Senkpiel, KC — Crabtree + Senkpiel Litigation LLP, West Vancouver
Michael D. Shirreff — Sugden McFee & Roos LLP, Vancouver
Gib van Ert, KC — Olthuis van Ert, Vancouver

Course Materials Contributor
Asia Clarke — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios
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British Columbia Civil Trial Handbook - 7th Edition

Why go to court alone? Take your mentor with you!

This publication is essential for: litigators looking for a handy trial procedure resource in court or at the office

Current to: August 8, 2024

From your first client meeting, every step you take in a file could become part of your trial preparation. The British Columbia Civil Trial Handbook (Seventh Edition) is your guide to preparing a case that will be litigated in the BC Supreme Court. You have access to succinct explanations and techniques of leading advocates on pleading your case, managing pre-trial procedures, preparing your evidence and challenging others', and conducting the trial before a judge or a jury. Checklists of considerations for each stage of trial preparation and sample trial documents are designed to help you with trial management.

With this resource, you will be able to:

• access the knowledge of seasoned advocates for each step of litigation, from the client retainer to obtaining costs
  
• get organized for trial with a sample trial brief, litigation budget, and trial preparation checklist
  
• quickly search for support with evidence, witnesses, and objections while in the courtroom

Buy today and be well prepared for any stage of litigation! View a sample from this book!

Highlights of the Seventh Edition include:

• all chapters, forms and precedents, and other features of the handbook brought current to August 8, 2024
• significant revisions to chapter 6 (Disposition of Actions before Trial) and chapter 9 (Witnesses at Civil Trial)
• new precedent letter for obligations respecting document preservation
• new and expanded discussion on topics, including:
  • applications to strike pleadings under Rule 9-5
  • considerations for summary trial applications
  • procedural requirements for trial briefs

• rules for proper pleadings
• best practices for preparing your pleadings for a claim or a response
• material fact or evidence?
• when are particulars necessary
• applications to strike pleadings—when should they be brought and what relief to seek

• witness interviews—when to do them and what to ask
• efficient use of pre-trial discovery tools
• admissions—facts and documents
• proof charts—how are you going to prove each essential element of your claim or defence?

• when and whether to bring an interlocutory application
• pick up the phone! the importance of talking to opposing counsel before going to court
• how to prepare effective application materials—give the court what it needs to find in your favour
• drafting affidavit evidence—best practices to make sure you have the evidence you need in admissible form

• comparing and contrasting the petition process from the civil action
• appropriate and effective use of hybrid procedures including discovery and cross-examination on affidavits
• when should a petition be referred to the trial list?

• do you have the evidence you need to prove your case and how are you going to get it admitted at trial?
• should you have a TMC even if not required under the Rules?
• trial logistics—what do you need to do to ensure your trial runs smoothly (and finishes on time!)

• access to justice is a team sport
• duties of counsel to the court
• ethical and professional responsibilities

• strategy relating to proceeding by summary trial versus trial
• suitability
• types of evidence that can be advanced on a summary trial
• access to justice considerations

• rules for a proper opening statement—setting the stage for your claim or defence
• when should a defendant give their opening before the plaintiff's case?
• effective closing submissions—assisting the court in arriving at the findings you are seeking in bringing or defending the claim

• agreement statements of fact and admissions
• use of discovery transcripts at trial—proper practice and strategic considerations for plaintiffs versus defendants
• document agreements—admissibility and the purpose of which the document can be used
• proper approach to common books of documents

• preparation method
• technique
• strategies

• threshold issues—admissibility under Mohan and the SCCR, qualifications, scope of opinion
• topic areas to test expert evidence
• preparation method
• strategy