LAWS 381 Civil Procedure Lecture Notes PDF

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Summary

Warning: TT: undefined function: 32 Table of Contents Introduction Outline of civil procedure system and key statutes - with interactive diagram ADR Formal What is the HC? Registrars and deputy registrars Hearings in open court Hearings in chambers Commercial panel Filing a statement of defence inte...

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Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3 Outline of civil procedure system and key statutes - with interactive diagram ................... 3 ADR ................................................................................................................................... 3 Formal ............................................................................................................................... 4 What is the HC? ......................................................................................................................... 5 Registrars and deputy registrars ................................................................................................ 5 Hearings in open court ............................................................................................................... 5 Hearings in chambers ................................................................................................................. 5 Commercial panel ...................................................................................................................... 5 Filing a statement of defence ..................................................................................................... 7 interlocutory tools ..................................................................................................................... 7 Discovery ................................................................................................................................... 8 Evidence .................................................................................................................................... 8 International litigation.................................................................................................................................. 8

Case management ..................................................................................................................... 8 Hearing ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Judgement ................................................................................................................................. 8 International litigation.................................................................................................................................. 9

Appeals...................................................................................................................................... 9

Rules you can see and rules you can't: role of the inherent jurisdiction ............................ 10 Criticism of Jacobs definition...................................................................................................................... 11

Inherent Powers ...................................................................................................................... 11 Difference between inherent jurisdiction and inherent powers ............................................... 12 Inherent jurisdiction ................................................................................................................ 12

Control of people in the proceedings and outside the proceedings. .................................. 15 Is the inherent power unlimited? ............................................................................................. 16 Limitations on the inherent jurisdiction ..................................................................................................... 16 Another limitation on IJ .............................................................................................................................. 16

Advocacy I - your role: duties of an advocate, honesty, integrity, making and fixing mistakes .......................................................................................................................... 17 Ethical problems arising in litigation ........................................................................................ 26

Getting started - statements of claim, notices of proceeding and alternative ways to commence ....................................................................................................................... 28

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Service - its importance and how to do it properly - and limitations, substituted service .. 39 Service limitations ................................................................................................................... 39 Commerce Commission v Viagogo AG........................................................................................................ 41

Crafting a statement of claim .......................................................................................... 45 Crafting a statement of defence (including affirmative defences), counterclaims and replies ............................................................................................................................. 54 Joining third (and fourth) parties and consolidating proceedings ..................................... 57 Introduction to interlocutory applications - protective and procedural............................. 60 Key procedural interlocutory applications I: security for costs, further particulars ............ 62 Key procedural interlocutory applications II: strike-out, summary judgment. ................... 64 Key protective interlocutory applications III: injunctions .................................................. 67 How this works when you are in a JR context ................................................................... 73 Key protective interlocutory applications IV freezing orders, search orders ...................... 76 Case management - the rules, thinking strategically and communicating with opposing counsel ............................................................................................................................ 92 Case management ................................................................................................................... 92

Discovery I: the basics .................................................................................................... 107 Nisha v LSG Sky Chefs New Zealand Ltd (No 2) [2014] NZEmpC 224........................................................ 112

Discovery II: pre-commencement, particular and non-party ........................................... 115 Advocacy II: being persuasive in court ........................................................................... 121 International elements I: service out and protests to jurisdiction ................................... 123 International elements II: forum non conveniens, stays and anti-suit injunctions ........... 125 International elements III: assisting foreign courts from New Zealand (evidence, interim relief) ............................................................................................................................ 127 International elements IV: recognising foreign judgments in New Zealand .................... 129 Justice Mallon - Trial Advocacy ...................................................................................... 131 International elements V: proceedings with trans-Tasman elements ............................. 135 Trial: Preparation; common bundles, process ................................................................ 142 Witness evidence - dos, and don'ts and subpoenas ........................................................ 145 Justice Kós: “Court of Appeal President: appellate advocacy” ........................................ 147 a.

Some rules of written advocacy ......................................................................................148

b.

Some rules of oral advocacy ...........................................................................................149

c.

Appellate DM .................................................................................................................150

Appeals I: Appeals to HC and CA .................................................................................... 151 Austin Nichols & Co Inc v Stichting Lodestar ............................................................................156 Kacem v Bashir .......................................................................................................................157

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Appeals II: Appeals to SC ............................................................................................... 159 High Court tour .............................................................................................................. 166 Costs – exam! ............................................................................................................... 166 Sealing and enforcement techniques ............................................................................. 169 Judicial Review and declaratory judgments ................................................................... 171 Alternative dispute resolution - duties to consider - options and processes .................... 174 Class actions and access to documents .......................................................................... 176 Summary class ............................................................................................................... 177

Lecture 1 8-Jul

Introduction - What is civil procedure (overriding objective), why is it important and what can you realistically learn in a 300-level course? Introduction – nothing substantive.

Lecture 2 9-Jul

Outline of civil procedure system and key statutes - with interactive diagram Purpose of the roadmap Substantive law /procedural law 1. What are your legal rights? (SL) 2. Where PL guides how to get to them – we are focusing on this. Going to court, costs will be a factor. So, you discuss ADR (alternative disputes resolution - alternative routes than court)

ADR Negotiation

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Most informal form of resolution Mediation Without prejudice (with a silence type code) Whatever is said in this mediation stays there. Important for free and frank discussions without fear what was said to be held against you if it does go to court. Mediator who is impartial

Formal Arbitration Each party sets out agreed process Arbitrator to make a ruling which is binding, can look like a court proceeding, the advantage is it’s entirely a process agreed by the parties. Ultimately cheaper, can be shorter. High Court Debt/damages $350,000 is the cut off for this court’s jurisdiction

Disputes tribunal different threshold of $15,000 in damages can go to $20,000 if parties agree. That’s their function, dispute damages are smaller, do not want to run huge legal fees to defeat the purpose. No lawyers to appear. You have to get permission of the tribunal first, and must show a pretty good reason why. So, helps keep costs down. Specialist tribunal Environment court. Insolvency Employment tribunals Tenancy tribunal JR High Court – exclusive jurisdiction (can’t be subject to JR) this is our focus the exclusive jurisdiction of the HC.

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What is the HC? Inherent jurisdiction inherited from UK laws to deal with all applications unless specifically put to another body. Senior Courts Act 2016, Part 2 Single court; multiple registries (30?) Judges go on circuit. Go around the country and sit on the courts. High Court Rules 2016; IJ Objective

Key rule for applicants - will come back to this. Justification for if a specific resolution is far too expensive etc. Judges and associate judges – used to be called master of the courts. Master Gendal etc, what is known now as associate judges. Have jurisdiction to deal with specific matters, and in doing so take some of the workload off judges. • Summary judgments • Insolvency claims • Case management matters • Some interlocutory applications

Registrars and deputy registrars Administrative role, scheduling Registrar in particular has jurisdiction in some interlocutory applications Point to take some of the less contested applications workload off judges.

Hearings in open court Substantive hearings are in open court., some hearings in chambers (meaning public not allowed in) Summary judgements Interlocutory applications

Hearings in chambers Not in a judges private office – like on Suits. In the court room, except that it is private and not open to the public.

Commercial panel Judges get appointed to panel where they have strong commercial background

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State your ground for wanting • • •

When the value of the claim is not less than 2m, so 2m+ So complex, justification for public interest High threshold

Chief HC judge determines whether it goes to the panel Judges come from many different backgrounds. But stronger commercial issues that meet threshold go to this commercial panel High Court Rules 2016; IJ Commencing proceedings in NZ HC Registry – identify proper registry D – identify defendants, have you got everyone/all parties needed before the court? - General requirements efficiency Forms will govern the claims, notice of proceeding - Interim relief? - Quick relief - Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act - Overseas litigation - Need to think about these Statement of claim – some shorter routes to judgement may be available. - Initial disclosure HCR 8.4 , if you are saying xyz, need to provide that evidence of xyz, letter, etc. - Discovery - Is limitation triggeredà impacting o Limitation Act, designed to encourage Ps to bring proceedings promptly, and the idea that bringing a proceeding later is more difficult. Memories fade, documents get lost for example. Originating applications - Cost is a major consideration in proceedings Urgent relief? Service Limitations: International litigation TTPA – Trans-Tasman Proceeding Act, with Aus enforcing judgements within our jurisdictions. What if you have a proceeding overseas but applies to an NZ party? HCR dealing with this too parts 5+6.

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Filing a statement of defence Know your process if you want to challenge the jurisdiction of the court over the dispute or party. So, deal with that first part 5 of the HCR, before any substantive dealings. Stay of the HC Counter claims HCR 5.53-5.61 Right of Reply P – blatantly wrong, not just arguable HCR 5.62 Joining 3rd… subsequent parties HCR 4.4-4.17 Overseas litigation Argue which is the most appropriate forum for this dispute US à governed by the HCR If Australia is, then the TTPA comes into play

interlocutory tools Security for costs; bond into court to proceed with litigation Bashing the pleadings into shape Statement of claim, doesn’t make sense of breach - Ask for further particulars to better understand the claim - Meritless, strike it out - No arguable defence to the claim; apply at an early stage for judgement dealt with in parts 4,5 and summary judgement in part 12. Procedural interlocutory tools Protected interlocutory tools - Preserve the position o Injunctions o Search order - Thresholds very high JR is slightly a different beast Not usual rules, but the JRP Act Judicial Review Procedure Act 2016

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Interim orders overseas HCR Aus - Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 Freezing orders of a foreign court

Discovery -

Disclosing documents relevant to the claims part 8 of the HCR o Standard, and tailored discovery o Pre-commencement: HCR 8.20 o Particular: 8.2 o Third party: HCR 8.21 § Think Banks, what happened to the money? Make an application third party discovery against the bank to hand over those documents o Interrogatories: HCR 8.34

Evidence Briefs of evidence: HCR Affidavits: HCR – sworn statement Subpoenas: HCR (Key witness who doesn’t want to appear, what instances you can compel them too.) International litigation Evidence Act 2006 Some parts of the HCR

Case management Efficient manner through the courts – part 7 and sch. 5

Hearing Briefs of evidence and common bundles: HCR part 9 Expert evidence Advocacy - Opening - Cross examination - Evidence Act, s 92 - Closing Etiquette: eg. Conduct and client care code

Judgement HCR Part 11 8

Costs (dealing more in-depth near the end) Contribution to cost only, limited instances of indemnity costs (very limited). Example: On my client’s best day in court, they are only recovering 30c on the dollar. Advising clients on strategy à if they have a claim, 400K, they won’t get all of that. Small categories of indemnity mainly clients will not get all of their costs. More depth in second part of course. HCR Pt. 14 Enforcement - What tools do you have for the other party to comply with judgement? International litigation Different rules depend on where the judgement is from Foreign judgement -CL rules, some other countries will fall under the Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act 1934 and part 24 of the HCR Common wealth jurisdiction Senior Courts Act 2016 And if Australia: Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 (emphasises this!)

Appeals If you lost you are looking at appeals For appeals to the HC: HCR Pt 20 For interlocutory decisions, leave to appeal required: interlocutory application – def in Senior Courts Act s 4: interlocutory application— (a) means any application to the High Court in any civil proceedings or criminal proceedings, or intended civil proceedings or intended criminal proceedings, for— (i) an order or a direction relating to a matter of procedure; or (ii) in the case of civil proceedings, for some relief ancillary to that claimed in a pleading; and (b) includes an application to review an order made, or a direction given, on any application to which paragraph (a) applies

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For judgements, automatic right to appeal CA Senior Courts Act 2016, ss 56 + 73

Standard of review/discretionary decisions No automatic stays on appeals Security for costs: CA (Civil) Rules, r 35 FLOW CHART FOR PROCEEDINGS – CREATE THIS.

Lecture 3 11-Jul

Rules you can see and rules you can't: role of the inherent jurisdiction Unlike these which are readily able to be found: High Court Rules 2016 Senior Courts Act 2016 Court of Appeal (Civil Rules) 2005 Supreme Court Rules 2004 Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 Evidence Act 2006 Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act 1934 10

Declaratory Judgments Act 1908 Inherent jurisdiction is difficult to define - broad flexible concept. A reserve or fund of powers, or a residual source of powers which the Court may draw upon whenever it is just and equitable to do so, especially to ensure proper observance of the due process of law, to prevent improper vexation or oppression or to do justice and secure a fair trial between the parties. - Jacobs - Broad definition - Flexible definition Is so deliberately because that is the way the inherent jurisdiction needs to be in order to work. Criticism of Jacobs definition Confused with inherent powers. There is a difference between inherent jurisdiction and inherent powers. However, the distinction is not well understood and is often confused in the judgments. Inherent jurisdiction - Is not derived from statute. It’s a substantive authority, courts can decide things other courts can’t. First court established was our HC, but at the time was called the Supreme Court in 1840s. Inherited all the powers that the Eng courts. This is how we got inherent jurisdiction. Other courts are creatures of statutes. E.g. district court. Its jurisdiction is defined by statute. Means the HC can hear a host of matters the district court can’t because DC is prescribed by statute, whereas HC prescribed by inherent jurisdiction. Inherent jurisdiction designed to make sure that there is always a court that can hear a matter. 4 courts ...