The judge may give you an oral judgment right at the end of your hearing, or she or he might reserve the decision until another day. This means that the judge will think about your case and release a decision at a later date. The judge will tell you at the end of the hearing whether judgment is being reserved.
If judgment is reserved, you may have to come back to court on another day to hear the judge give an oral decision. The other option is that the judge may give written reasons, in which case the registry will contact you before the reasons are released. You then can get the reasons by e-mail or you can go to the courthouse and get a paper copy of the reasons.
If the judge gives oral reasons, pay attention to what the judge is saying, and try to write it all down. If you have a friend with you, ask him or her to write it down as well.
Generally, listen for:
- Whether the court has “set aside” or “quashed” the Tribunal’s decision;
- Whether the court makes some other type of order; and
- Whether the judge orders court costs.
Unless the judge tells you otherwise, the judge’s decision is in effect from the date it is pronounced, even if a written order has not been drafted yet.
The party that loses the judicial review can appeal the decision to the BC Court of Appeal within thirty days from the date the court issues its order. You should get legal advice if you are considering an appeal.