The respondent Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) brought a motion to bifurcate the hearing, proposing that the liability of the co-respondent, Children at Risk, be determined first.
The motion was supported by Children at Risk but opposed by the Commission and the complainant.
The Board of Inquiry denied the motion, finding that the complex issues of liability could not be neatly delineated and that hearing the matter in stages risked duplication of evidence, gaps in evidence, and significant delay.
The Board concluded that the risk of delay outweighed any asserted convenience.
