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After nearly four years of pain and anxiety, Lois Salmond sat expectantly in a crowded courtroom Monday waiting to begin a 15-day trial. But her case, along with many others, was bumped.

B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson adjourned 11 trials, apologetically explaining he lacked judges to keep up with the workload — sorry for the inconvenience, stress and extra cost.

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Salmond, the plaintiff in her case, waited around for about 90 minutes in the hope a judge might be miraculously found — but no such luck.

“There were seven or eight witnesses inconvenienced, but it does seem to be a system that’s out of control,” she complained Tuesday, adding she couldn’t really talk about the specifics of her lawsuit.

A veteran Vancouver lawyer, Salmond was injured in a motor vehicle accident nearly four years ago.

“I’m normally in the criminal courts and there are strict rules that demand trials be finished within a few years or the case is tossed out,” she said.