Acts and Regulations

Rule-22 - SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Full text
Current to 1 January 2024
DISPOSITION WITHOUT TRIAL
RULE 22
SUMMARY JUDGMENT
22.01Where Available
To Plaintiff
(1)After the defendant has served a Statement of Defence or served a Notice of Motion, a plaintiff may move with a supporting affidavit or other evidence for summary judgment on all or part of the claim in the Statement of Claim.
(2)The plaintiff may move, without notice, for leave to serve a Notice of Motion for summary judgment together with the Statement of Claim, and leave may be given if urgency is shown, subject to such directions as are just.
To Defendant
(3)After the defendant has served a Statement of Defence, the defendant may move with supporting affidavit or other evidence for summary judgment dismissing all or part of the claim in the Statement of Claim.
22.02Evidence on Motion
(1)An affidavit for use on motion for summary judgment may be made on information and belief as provided in Rule 39.01(4), but, on the hearing of the motion, the court may draw an adverse inference from the failure of a party to provide the evidence of a person having personal knowledge of contested facts.
(2)In response to an affidavit or other evidence supporting a motion for summary judgment, a responding party may not rest solely on the allegations or denials in the party’s pleadings, but shall set out, in affidavit or other evidence, specific facts showing there is a genuine issue requiring a trial.
(3)With leave of the court, an affidavit for use on motion for summary judgment may contain opinion evidence if the deponent would be allowed to give that evidence while testifying in court.
22.03Briefs Required
(1)On a motion for summary judgment, each party shall serve on every other party to the motion a brief consisting of a concise statement of all relevant facts, the argument, law, and authorities relied on by the party.
(2)The moving party’s brief shall be served and filed, with proof of service, in the office of the clerk of the judicial district where the motion is to be heard at least seven days before the hearing.
(3)The responding party’s brief shall be served and filed, with proof of service, in the office of the clerk of the judicial district where the motion is to be heard at least four days before the hearing.
22.04Disposition of Motion
General
(1)The court shall grant summary judgment if
(a) the court is satisfied there is no genuine issue requiring a trial with respect to a claim or defence, or
(b) the parties agree to have all or part of the claim determined by a summary judgment and the court is satisfied it is appropriate to grant summary judgment.
Powers
(2)In determining whether there is a genuine issue requiring a trial, the court shall consider the evidence submitted by the parties and may exercise any of the following powers for the purpose, unless it is in the interests of justice for those powers to be exercised only at a trial:
(a) weighing the evidence;
(b) evaluating the credibility of a deponent; and
(c) drawing a reasonable inference from the evidence.
Oral Evidence (mini-trial)
(3)For the purposes of exercising the powers set out in this subrule, a judge may order that oral evidence be presented by one or more parties, with or without time limits on its presentation.
If Only Genuine Issue is Amount
(4)If the court is satisfied the only genuine issue is the amount to which the moving party is entitled, the court may direct a trial of that issue.
If Only Genuine Issue is Question of Law
(5)If the court is satisfied the only genuine issue is a question of law, the court may determine that question and grant judgment accordingly.
If Only Claim is for an Accounting
(6)If the only claim is for an accounting and the defendant fails to satisfy the court there is some preliminary issue to be tried, the court may grant judgment on the claim and give directions for an accounting.
22.05If a Trial is Necessary
(1)If summary judgment is refused, or is granted in part only, and a trial is necessary, the court may order that the action be set down for trial in the normal course or within a specified time and may specify the material facts which are not in dispute and may define the remaining issues where they are not sufficiently defined in the pleadings.
(2)If it is ordered that an action proceed to trial in whole or in part, the court may impose the terms and conditions as are just, including directions
(a) for payment into court of the whole or part of the claim and, in addition to or in lieu of payment into court of the whole or part of the claim, for provision of security for costs, and
(b) that the scope of examinations for discovery be limited to matters not covered by the affidavits filed on the motion and the cross-examinations on the motions, and that the affidavits and cross-examinations be used in addition to or instead of examinations for discovery.
(3)If a party fails to comply with an order for payment into court or for security for costs, the opposite party may apply to the court for an order dismissing the action or striking out the Statement of Defence, as the case may be, with or without costs as may be just. If, on such a motion, the Statement of Defence is struck out, the defendant shall be deemed to be noted in default, and the plaintiff may move for judgment in respect of any claim for relief for which the plaintiff is not required by Rule 21.05 to set the action down for trial.
(4)On the terms as may be just, the court may order that the enforcement of a summary judgment be stayed pending the determination of a claim in the statement of claim, counterclaim, cross-claim or third-party claim.
22.06Costs Sanctions for Improper Use of Rule
If Motion Fails
(1)On a motion for summary judgment, if the moving party obtains no relief and the action as originally constituted is allowed to proceed to trial without the imposition of terms or conditions, the court shall fix the costs of the opposite party and order the moving party to pay them without delay unless the court is satisfied that the motion, although unsuccessful, was nevertheless justified.
If Affidavit Filed in Bad Faith
(2)If it appears to the court that an affidavit filed on a motion under this rule was filed in bad faith or solely for the purpose of delay, the court may fix the costs of the opposite party and order the party filing the affidavit to pay those costs without delay.
22.07Effect of Summary Judgment
If a plaintiff obtains summary judgment under this rule, the judgment shall not prejudice the plaintiff’s right to proceed against the same defendant for other relief or against any other defendant for the same or other relief.
22.08Application to Counterclaims, Cross-Claims and Third-Party Claims
Subject to Rules 28, 29 and 30, this rule applies with the necessary modifications to a counterclaim, a cross-claim or a third-party claim.
Rule 22: 2016-73