The long-delayed trial of Calgary home renovator Bruce Hopkins has been put on hold again, this time so he can argue he’s been the victim of unreasonable delay.

Defence counsel Christian Popowich told provincial court Judge Brian Stevenson on Monday that Hopkins’ scheduled two-week trial would not be proceeding.

Instead, Popowich said, he and Crown prosecutor Tony Bell will present arguments on June 14, and possibly 15, on whether his client’s Charter rights have been violated because of the length of time it has taken to get his case to trial.

“The Crown is ready, willing and able to proceed,” Bell told Stevenson, of the fact the case was being delayed further by the Charter application.

“Within the last two weeks the defence has filed a Jordan application,” Bell said, of the Supreme Court case which set guidelines on how soon trials must be concluded unless there are exceptional circumstances to justify the delay.

In the Jordan ruling, the nation’s top court said trials in provincial court will be deemed to have been unreasonably delayed if they end more than 18 months after a person is charged.

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