Boards of Referees Policy and Administration Pursuant to section 111 of the Employment Insurance Act and section 78 of the Regulations

4. APPLICATION

4.7 Scheduling

4.7.2 Number of cases scheduled per hearing

Before arriving at the hearing, the Board of Referees should have reviewed the facts of each case, the applicable jurisprudence, and the relevant sections of the EI Act and Regulations. The Board should note not only the jurisprudence cited by the Commission and the interested parties to the appeal, but also other relevant jurisprudence which was not cited. The Index of Jurisprudence may be valuable in conducting such research.

Several factors influence the number of cases which could reasonably be scheduled for a day's hearing. These factors include:

• the complexity of the cases to be heard;

• whether the appellant, the employer and/or their representatives will participate in a hearing;

• whether the decision will be made on-the-record with no personal appearance by any of the parties.

These factors plus speed of service to the appellants, natural justice and fiscal responsibility will all be weighed in determining the number of cases to be scheduled for a particular session. Normally, 60 minutes will be scheduled for oral hearings and 45 minutes for on-the-record hearings. Time allotments include hearing the parties, deliberating among the Board members, and writing the decision.

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