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The timing of the trial came at the request of the defence, which is bringing pre-trial motions that will take place in shorter hearings in December and March. The first will deal with disclosure of third-party records, including from government departments. The second will be a motion to stay the proceedings.

Crown lawyer Jeannine Plamondon said the court had initially offered a trial date of May, but the defence requested more time for preparation and scheduling.

It's quite an extraordinary prosecution where really the complainant's deciding what we get to look at, what's important and what's not

Asked if she preferred the later trial dates for their potentially greater political sensitivity, Marie Henein, lead counsel for Norman, said her request was simply about being fully prepared.

“I wanted it at a time where the disclosure motion and the other motion will be heard,” she said. “So that’s why it’s spaced out the way that it is.”

She declined to comment on how the election might affect the dynamics of the trial. “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask the Prime Minister about that,” she said.

The case will proceed in the Ontario Court of Justice, the lower provincial court. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled a person should be tried within 18 months of being charged in provincial court, and the scheduled dates put this trial near that limit. Henein warned Tuesday she won’t waive Norman’s right to a timely trial because of government delays in providing disclosure.

There is still an unsolved issue around the disclosure of cabinet confidences, Henein said, which are documents the government has the right to keep secret. She has requested the government waive its secrecy privilege to allow all such documents to be shared fully with the defence, but has not yet received a response.