15. The Grievance Board may, by any means that allows the parties or their representatives to communicate with each other, hold a conference for the purpose of considering any of the following:

• (a) the clarification and simplification of contentious issues;

• (b) the admission of particular facts or of information;

• (c) the procedure to be followed in connection with requests for documents;

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

• (e) the exchange of documents among parties; and

• (f) any other matter that may aid in the clarification and simplification of the evidence and the preparation of the findings and recommendations of the Grievance Board.

• 16. (1) The member of the Grievance Board who presides at the conference shall keep minutes of it and record in them any agreement that is reached.

• (2) The Grievance Board may decide an issue in respect of which an agreement has not been reached at the conference so that the hearing may be conducted as informally and expeditiously as possible.

• (3) The Grievance Board shall have a copy of the minutes and any decision that it makes after the conference delivered to the parties.

• (4) Agreements reached and decisions made by the Grievance Board shall be applied at the hearing.

17. A notice of a hearing shall be served at least 10 days before the day fixed for the hearing.

• 18. (1) A summons to require the attendance of a witness and to require the witness to produce documents under the witness’s control that are relevant to the review of the grievance shall be in the form set out in the schedule.

• (2) A party may require the attendance of a witness

  • (a) by completing a summons that is then signed by the Grievance Board; or

  • (b) by forwarding the name and address of the proposed witness to the Registrar at least seven days before the witness is required to appear and by requesting the Grievance Board to complete and sign the summons.

• (3) The summons shall be issued by the Grievance Board and sealed with the Grievance Board’s seal. It shall then be served by the party or, on the request of the party, by the Grievance Board.

19. A person who has been summoned may, before appearing as a witness or at any other time, by motion request payment of the fees and allowances that are payable to a witness summoned before the Federal Court.

20. A party who wishes to have an expert witness testify at a hearing shall, at least 20 days before the testimony,

• (a) deliver to the other party a copy of the report of the expert witness or, in the absence of a report, a written summary of the testimony of the expert witness together with the name, address and qualifications of the witness; and

• (b) file with the Grievance Board or the Registrar a copy of the report or summary.