OTTAWA — The Mike Duffy trial looks like it is going to go longer than the 41 days allotted, potentially dragging it into the orbit of the autumn federal election campaign.
Ontario court Justice Charles Vaillancourt says he doesn't see the trial completing its task by June 19, as set out in the original time frame.
The suspended senator faces 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
It's not hard to see how the trial could go into overtime.
Seven days into the process, only two witnesses have taken the stand, even though dozens are expected to testify.
Defence lawyer Donald Bayne is going deep into Senate's often broad rules and procedures with each witness, trying to demonstrate his client operated within the lines.
He is continuing a second day of cross-examination of Senate human resources officer Sonia Makhlouf, who has testified there was no after-the-fact oversight over contracts awarded by senators.
