Legal Definitions - fast-tracking

Fast-tracking refers to a court's or tribunal's deliberate strategy to accelerate the progress and resolution of specific legal cases or categories of cases. The primary goal is to reduce delays, manage heavy caseloads, and ensure that justice is delivered more efficiently, especially when circumstances demand a quicker resolution.

Here are some examples illustrating fast-tracking:

• Imagine a situation where a small business is facing imminent bankruptcy due to a critical payment dispute with a major client. The business owner files a lawsuit to recover the owed funds. Recognizing the severe financial hardship and potential job losses, the court might designate this case for fast-tracking. This could involve scheduling an early mandatory mediation session, setting a strict deadline for all evidence to be exchanged (discovery), and assigning a trial date much sooner than typical cases, perhaps within a few months rather than a year or more. This acceleration aims to provide a quicker resolution to prevent the business's collapse.

• Consider a child custody dispute where one parent alleges immediate danger to the child's well-being, such as severe neglect or abuse. In such urgent circumstances, a family court judge might order fast-tracking for the case. This would mean holding an emergency hearing within days, ordering an expedited investigation by child protective services, and setting a condensed schedule for both parents to present their evidence and arguments. The court's goal is to quickly determine the safest living arrangements for the child, prioritizing their welfare over standard procedural timelines.

• In the realm of administrative law, a government agency might implement fast-tracking for appeals related to certain public infrastructure projects. For instance, if a new bridge construction project is stalled due to an environmental permit appeal, and the delay is causing significant economic impact and public inconvenience, the administrative tribunal reviewing the appeal might prioritize it. They could assign a dedicated panel of judges or experts to the case, impose shorter deadlines for legal briefs, and schedule an expedited hearing, aiming to issue a final decision within weeks instead of the usual several months. This ensures that critical public projects are not unduly delayed by lengthy legal processes.