Williams v. Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club, 2009 HRTO 459

HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL OF ONTARIO

B E T W E E N:

Anne Williams by her litigation guardian, Carol-Lynne Saad

Applicant

-and-

Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club,

Stanley Staple, William Lloyd and Robert Monaghan

Respondents

INTERIM DECISION

Adjudicator: Kaye Joachim

Date: April 20, 2009

Citation: 2009 HRTO 459

Indexed as: Williams v. Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club

1This is an Application filed September 8, 2008 under section 53(3) of Part VI of the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, as amended (the “Code”). The Case Resolution Conference in this matter is scheduled for April 27 and 28, 2009.

2The purpose of this Interim Decision is to address the applicant’s request for an adjournment. The applicant retained counsel on April 9, 2009. On April 14, 2009, applicant’s counsel wrote to the Tribunal seeking an adjournment of the hearing on the basis that she might be unable to attend if an inquest she was appearing on continued until April 27, 2009. The personal respondent Monaghan opposes the adjournment.

3This hearing was scheduled with the consent of the parties in November 2008. There are eight witnesses scheduled to testify. The personal respondent Monaghan gave up a travel opportunity in late April to attend this hearing.

4The applicant has not offered an explanation why she waited until shortly before the hearing to retain counsel, or why she did not choose counsel who was available on the scheduled hearing dates. Further, counsel is not a sole practitioner and there is no explanation why another member of her firm could not appear in this proceeding.

5In all the circumstances, the request for an adjournment is denied.