A court challenge of the rules for status in the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation could wrap up this week, much earlier than expected.

The Supreme Court case was expected to last three weeks. But with only one side giving evidence, and just summations left to come, it could be half that.

The Friends of Qalipu is leading the challenge against a 2013 rule that stripped status from thousands, and stopped others from gaining it.

It involves a point system to prove connection to the band if you don’t live near Mi’kmaq communities, such as students away for school or others for work.

It was added after an expected 20,000 applications swelled to a hundred thousand from across Canada. And it denied most of them, including elders, and even saw different status with members of the same family, in one case twin brothers.

But it was all agreed to by Ottawa and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, neither of which gave evidence in court, standing by their agreement which cites “greater precision” with the evidence applicants must provide.

That’s of little comfort to the Friends of Qalipu, since it still comes down to where, as opposed to who, they are.