Canadian International Trade Tribunal Rules

18 (1) At the same time as giving a notice of a hearing to be held in any proceeding or at any time after the giving of that notice, the Tribunal may direct that all parties to the proceeding or their counsels appear before the Tribunal or before a member thereof or the Secretary, at a time and place fixed by the Tribunal, for a pre-hearing conference for the purpose of making representations to the Tribunal or receiving guidance from the Tribunal with respect to any of the following matters that the Tribunal specifies:

• (a) the clarification and simplification of issues;

• (b) the procedure to be followed at the hearing;

• (c) the mutual exchange between parties to the proceeding of written submissions, exhibits and other material presented or to be presented to the Tribunal;

• (d) the question of whether any written submission, other document or testimony presented or proposed to be presented to the Tribunal contains confidential information;

• (e) the question of the confidential information, if any, to which a person who is to appear on behalf of a party in the capacity of an expert on any matter should be given access; and

• (f) any other matter that is relevant to the hearing.

(2) Counsel for any party to a proceeding may, if notice of a hearing has been given in the proceeding, make a written request to the Tribunal to direct that a pre-hearing conference be held to consider any matter referred in subrule (1).

(3) On receipt of a request referred to in subrule (2), the Tribunal may direct that a pre-hearing conference be held if it determines that a pre-hearing conference would assist in the orderly conduct of the hearing.

(4) The Tribunal may conduct the pre-hearing conference in any manner that gives the parties or their counsel a fair opportunity to participate.

(5) [Repealed, SOR/2000-139, s. 9]