Welcome to the Ontario Civil Trial Manual, authored by Canadian Trial Lawyer Mick Hassell. The focus of the trial manual is civil cases before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
The Ontario Civil Trial Manual was written to help law firms, lawyers, paralegals, law clerks, legal assistants and self-reps. It is trial information not trial advice.
The trial manual is organised around the 6 Trial Fundamentals: story, people, documents and things, law of evidence, trial procedure and substantive law. A detailed discussion of the 6 trial fundamentals is in our trial book HOW TO WINg A TRIAL.
For a trial checklist, the Ontario Civil Trial Checklist is a useful companion to the trial manual as you prepare for trial. And if you’d like to diagnose your trial readiness, please check out our Trial Readiness Checkup.
Our Trial Forms will help along the road to trial.
1. STORY
- Theory of the case, opening statement, closing argument
- Agreed statement of facts
- Request to admit facts
- Examination transcripts at trial
2. PEOPLE
- Witness management
- Summonses
- Direct examination
- Cross-examination
- Witness preparation
- Expert affidavit
3. DOCUMENTS AND THINGS
- Trial document brief
- Joint trial document brief
- Request to admit the authenticity of documents
- Exhibit list
- Trials using Case Center (new addition as of 2024)
4. LAW OF EVIDENCE
- Expert witnesses and expert reports
- Evidence Act notice – business records
- Evidence Act notice – medical
- Law of evidence fundamentals
- Common objections
5. TRIAL PROCEDURE
- Setting actions down for trial
- Pre-trial conference checklist
- Conducting pre-trial conferences
- Trial Management Plan
- Motions
- How trial sittings work
- Jury selection
- Jury questions
6. SUBSTANTIVE LAW
Trial Resources
Resources by a trial lawyer, available online:
Trial Book Trial Manual Trial Checklist Trial Forms
Trial Services
If you would like legal advice from an experienced trial lawyer:
Our Services Consult Trial Counsel
Disclaimer
This website and all resources are trial information, not trial legal advice.
Copyright Notice ©
The content of this website including all trial resources are © copyright. For permission to reproduce part of the website and/or trial resources please contact us. Feedback and topic suggestions are welcome. Thank you.