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Hearing Plan

A hearing plan is required for all types of appeals before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) that are scheduled for a hearing of four (4) days or more.  A hearing plan outlines how the hearing will proceed and ensures the Tribunal is providing enough time to deal with the matter.

It is recommended that the parties meet to discuss the hearing plan before submitting it to the Tribunal. The Tribunal will review and approve the proposed hearing plan and may contact parties if additional information is needed.

How to organize a hearing plan:

Each day should start at the time specified by the Tribunal.  This time can be found on your Appointment for Hearing notice or a Tribunal Decision.

The last activity for each day should be scheduled to end no later than 5:00 p.m.

The schedule should include three breaks for each day – morning, lunch and afternoon.  When scheduling witnesses, use your best judgement to decide how much time is needed to present the information.

The order of witnesses in the hearing plan should match the order set out in the Procedural Order.  If no Procedural Order was issued, parties should schedule witnesses in the order of the proceeding, where the applicant goes first.  Witnesses should be identified alphabetically, starting with “Witness A”, followed by “Witness B” and so on, to show who is speaking on which days and at what times.

Parties are expected to jointly create the hearing plan and submit it to the Tribunal’s Case Coordinator at least 30 days in advance of the hearing start date noting the case number and the hearing start date.  The hearing plan is subject to change at the discretion of the hearing panel.

Below are two hearing plan samples that can be used as a guideline.  Parties should modify the plan for their particular situations.

Sample Three Day Hearing Plan

A hearing plan is required for all types of appeals before the Tribunal that is scheduled for a hearing of more than three (3) days or more.

Day 1

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am15 minsPreliminary Matters
10:15 am60 minsWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A
11:15 am15 minsMorning Break
11:30 am90 minsWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A
1:00 pm60 minsLunch Break
2:00 pm90 minsWitness A, Cross-examinationWitness A
3:30 pm15 minAfternoon Break
3:45 pm15 minsWitness A, Re-examinationWitness A
4:00 pm60 minsWitness B, Direct examinationWitness B


Day 2

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am90 minsWitness B, Direct examinationWitness B
11:30 am15 minsMorning Break
11:45 am90 minsWitness B, Cross-examinationWitness B
1:15 pm60 minsLunch Break
2:15 pm15 minsWitness B, Re-examinationWitness B
2:30 pm60 minsWitness C, Direct examinationWitness C
3:30 pm15 minAfternoon Break
3:45 pm45 minsWitness C, Cross-examinationWitness C
4:30 pm15 minsWitness C, Re-examinationWitness C


Day 3

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am120 minsWitness B
12:00 pm45 minsReply Evidence/Witness Recall (if needed)
12:45 am60 minsLunch Break
1:45 pm60 minsFinal Argument – Appellant
2:45 pm15 minsAfternoon Break
3:00 pm60 minsFinal Argument – Non-Appellant Party
4:00 pm15 minReply

Sample Five Day Hearing Plan

 Day 1

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am15 minsPreliminary Matters
10:15 am75 minsWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A
11:30 am15 minsMorning Break
11:45 pm75 minsWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A
1:00 pm60 minsLunch Break
3:30 pm15 minsAfternoon Break
3:45 pm75 minWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A


Day 2

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am15 minsPreliminary Matters
10:15 am75 minsWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A
11:30 am15 minsMorning Break
11:45 pm75 minsWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A
1:00 pm60 minsLunch Break
3:30 pm15 minsAfternoon Break
3:45 pm75 minWitness A, Direct examinationWitness A


Day 3

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am90 minsWitness C, Direct examinationWitness C
11:30 am15 minsMorning Break
11:45 am90 minsWitness C, Cross-examinationWitness C
1:15 pm75 minsLunch Break
2:45 pm75 minsWitness D, Direct examinationWitness D
3:30 pm15 minsAfternoon Break
3:45 pm75 minWitness D, Cross-examinationWitness D


Day 4

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am60 minsWitness E, Direct examinationWitness E
11:00 am30 minsWitness E, Cross-examinationWitness E
11:30 am15 minsMorning Break
1:30 pm30 minsWitness F, Cross-examinationWitness F
2:00 pm75 mins
3:15 pm15 minsAfternoon Break
3:30 pm90 mins


Day 5

Start TimeDurationActivityWitness Name
10:00 am45 mins
10:45 am45 minsReply Evidence/Witness Recall (if needed)
11:30 am15 minsMorning Break
11:45 am75 minsFinal Argument – Appellant
1:00 pm60 minsLunch Break
2:00 pm60 minsFinal Argument – Non-Appellant Party
3:00 pm15 minsReply
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