Hearings can be held orally or by written submissions.
Oral hearings may proceed in-person or electronically (in either a fully virtual or hybrid mode).
Parties may request and the hearing Panel may decide on the appropriate format of the hearing.
For guidance on the appropriate hearing format, please see Hearing Committee Best Practices for Electronic Proceedings (pdf) and In-Person and Hybrid Hearings Protocol (pdf).
In-Person Hearings
In-person hearings entail personal attendance of the parties, their witnesses and legal counsel (if represented by a lawyer), in a physical hearing room, where the hearing will be held in the presence of a Hearing Panel.
In-person hearings can be held in OUR offices, court reporters' offices or other locations as chosen by the NHO.
Electronic Hearings
Electronic hearings are provided for in the IIROC Rules. An electronic hearing means a hearing held by electronic technology that allows persons to hear and see one another.
Webex is video and audioconferencing used in electronic hearings.
See the E-Hearing Preparation Checklist to help you prepare for an electronic hearing.
Hybrid Hearings
Hybrid hearings combine physical and virtual modes of hearing. This means that although some participants may connect via video, others will be physically present in a hearing room.
It may be that the entire proceeding takes place in a hybrid environment, or only parts of the proceeding, such as witness testimonies and other evidence, require a hybrid mode.