PAY EQUITY HEARING TRIBUNAL
0737-02 General Health Services o/a Circle of Life Health Services, Applicant v. Toronto East General Hospital, Collin Buchanan, Basil Chinenye, Roxanne Edwards, Respondents
Before: Mary Anne McKellar, Vice-Chair, Catherine Bickley and Margaret Kvetan, Members
Cite as: Circle of Life Health Services (No.3) (March 31, 2003) 0737-02 (P.E.H.T.)
DECISION OF THE TRIBUNAL, MARCH 31, 2003
The Tribunal issued a decision in this matter dated February 13, 2003.
By letter dated March 25, 2003, counsel for the Applicant notes that under the Tribunal’s new Rules of Practice (effective November 2002), the time for filing a request for reconsideration of the Tribunal’s decision expired March 13, 2003. The former Rules did not stipulate a time limit for reconsideration requests. Counsel seeks to have the Tribunal extend the period of time in which the Applicant might file a Request for Reconsideration to April 4, 2003, on the basis that he only recently became aware of the impact of the change in Rules.
It must be remembered that the Tribunal’s decisions are intended to bring finality to disputes between the parties, and that reconsideration is an extraordinary and discretionary remedy. Since this is the first reconsideration request any party has sought to make pursuant to the new Rules, however, and since the delay in question is not excessive, the Tribunal is prepared to relieve against the strict application of the time limits in this case. In future, however, and particularly after the release of this decision, parties seeking reconsideration should be aware that ignorance of the Rules may not be regarded as constituting a sufficient basis for relieving against the time limits.
Dated at Toronto this 31st day of March, 2003
Mary Anne McKellar, Vice-Chair
Catherine Bickley, Member
Margaret Kvetan, Member