of the essence

With speed of the essence, they don’t stop for anything; even bathroom breaks are handled as the boat rockets forward.

In urging the First Circuit to preserve McConnell’s ruling, the coalition that sued in Rhode Island said children and families are going hungry and “time is of the essence.”

One ally of Mahmood told the BBC: "She knows that time is of the essence. She didn't take long to take big decisions at the Ministry of Justice, and she doesn't tend to hang about."

It says the government's announcement is "vital and long-overdue", but time is of the essence.

The filing insisted that time was “of the essence” in a plot that allegedly was hatched in February 2023.