Rules 8.4(3)(a) and 8.5(1)(a) of the Alberta Rules of Court (otherwise known as the “ADR/JDR Rules” requiring parties to conduct an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) or a Judicial Dispute Resolution (JDR) before setting a matter for trial, were suspended in July 2013 by the former Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench. At that time, limited judicial resources were being stretched beyond capacity and lead times for JDRs were unacceptably long. As such, the suspension of the ADR/JDR Rules was a reasonable response.

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