Court Opinion

ID: 9819308
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 06:22:15.938272+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:11:33.146117
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE RARICK, dissenting: I write this dissent because once again the majority is elevating form over substance and depriving needlessly a claimant of her rights under the Act. Clearly, the Commission intended the stamp to certify copies or else the stamp would not have used the word “certified” in its text or included the signatures of the arbitrator and the six commissioners and chairman of the Commission. The majority relies on Evans v. Corporate Services, 207 Ill. App. 3d 297, 565 N.E.2d 724 (1990), to support a contrary holding. I have no quarrel with Evans, but Evans presents a different factual situation altogether and has no application in this instance. No type of certified copy was ever filed in Evans. Here we have a “certified” copy, as represented by the stamp, timely filed. Accordingly, I believe that claimant complied with all necessary statutory requirements and that the circuit court had jurisdiction over claimant’s application for entry of judgment.