Supreme Court (Chapter I Amendment No. 18) Rules 2010
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Supreme Court (Chapter I Amendment No. 18)
Rules 2010
S.R. No. 53/2010
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
Rule Page
1 Object 1
2 Authorising provisions 1
3 Commencement 1
4 Principal Rules 1
5 New Rule 29.01.1 1
29.01.1 Scope of discovery 1
6 Notice for discovery 3
7 Affidavit of documents 3
8 New Rules 29.05.1 and 29.05.2 4
29.05.1 Order for general discovery 4
29.05.2 Order for expanded discovery 4
9 New Rule 29.17 4
29.17 Transitional provision—Supreme Court (Chapter I
Amendment No. 18) Rules 2010 4
10 Form 29B—affidavit of documents 4
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ENDNOTES 7
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STATUTORY RULES 2010
S.R. No. 53/2010
Supreme Court Act 1986
Supreme Court (Chapter I Amendment No. 18)
Rules 2010
The Judges of the Supreme Court make the following Rules:
1 Object
The object of these Rules is to amend Chapter I of
the Rules of the Supreme Court in relation to the
discovery of documents.
2 Authorising provisions
These Rules are made under section 25 of the
Supreme Court Act 1986 and all other enabling
powers.
3 Commencement
These Rules come into operation on 1 January
2011.
4 Principal Rules
In these Rules, the Supreme Court (General Civil
Procedure) Rules 2005 1 are called the Principal
Rules.
5 New Rule 29.01.1
After Rule 29.01 of the Principal Rules insert—
"29.01.1 Scope of discovery
(1) Unless the Court otherwise orders, discovery
of documents pursuant to this Order is
limited to the documents referred to in
paragraph (3).
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(2) Paragraph (1) applies despite any other rule
or law to the contrary.
(3) Without limiting Rules 29.05 and 29.07, for
the purposes of this Order, the documents
required to be discovered are any of the
following documents of which the party
giving discovery is, after a reasonable
search, aware at the time discovery is
given—
(a) documents on which the party relies;
(b) documents that adversely affect the
party's own case;
(c) documents that adversely affect another
party's case;
(d) documents that support another party's
case.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (3)—
(a) if a party giving discovery reasonably
believes that a document is already in
the possession of the party to which
discovery is given, the party giving
discovery is not required to discover
that document;
(b) a party required to give discovery who
has, or has had in his, her or its
possession more than one copy,
however made, of a particular
document is not required to give
discovery of additional copies by
reason only of the fact that the original
or any other copy is discoverable.
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(5) For the purposes of paragraph (3), in making
a reasonable search a party may take into
account—
(a) the nature and complexity of the
proceeding;
(b) the number of documents involved;
(c) the ease and cost of retrieving a
document;
(d) the significance of any document to be
found; and
(e) any other relevant matter.".
6 Notice for discovery
In Rule 29.02(1) of the Principal Rules for
"relating to any question raised by the pleadings"
substitute "and which, in accordance with Rule
29.01.1, are required to be discovered".
7 Affidavit of documents
At the end of Rule 29.04 of the Principal Rules
insert—
"(2) If a party required to give discovery in
accordance with Rule 29.01.1 does not, in
making a reasonable search as required by
Rule 29.01.1, search for a category or class
of document, the party must include in the
affidavit of documents a statement of—
(a) the category or class of document not
searched for; and
(b) the reason why.".
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8 New Rules 29.05.1 and 29.05.2
After Rule 29.05 of the Principal Rules insert—
"29.05.1 Order for general discovery
At any stage of a proceeding, the Court may
order any party to give discovery in
accordance with Rule 29.01.1.
29.05.2 Order for expanded discovery
(1) At any stage of a proceeding, the Court
may, by order, expand a party's obligation
to give discovery beyond that required by
Rule 29.01.1.
(2) Without limiting any power of the Court, an
order under paragraph (1) may specify any
document or class of document to which the
expanded obligation relates.".
9 New Rule 29.17
After Rule 29.16 of the Principal Rules insert—
"29.17 Transitional provision—Supreme Court
(Chapter I Amendment No. 18) Rules
2010
The amendments made to this Order by the
Supreme Court (Chapter I Amendment
No. 18) Rules 2010 apply to any proceeding
commenced on or after 1 January 2011.".
10 Form 29B—affidavit of documents
(1) In Form 29B of the Principal Rules—
(a) in clause 1 for "relating to the questions in
this proceeding enumerated in Schedule 1"
substitute "enumerated in Schedule 1 which
are required to be discovered";
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(b) in clause 3 for "document relating to the
questions in the proceeding enumerated in
Schedule 2" substitute "documents
enumerated in Schedule 2 which would have
been required to be discovered";
(c) in clause 5 for "relating to any question in
the proceeding" substitute "required to be
discovered".
(2) In Form 29B of the Principal Rules, after clause 5
insert—
"*6. In making a reasonable search as required by
Rule 29.01.1 of Chapter I of the Rules of the Supreme
Court, I did not search for the following category or
class of document [specify which category or class of
document for which no search was made].
*7. The reason why I did not make a search for the
category or class of documents referred to in clause 6
is [specify reason].".
(3) In Form 29B of the Principal Rules at the end of
the Form insert—
"*Delete if not applicable.".
Dated: 24 June 2010
M. L. WARREN, C.J.
CHRISTOPHER MAXWELL, P.
PETER BUCHANAN, J.A.
GEOFFREY NETTLE, J.A.
DAVID ASHLEY, J.A.
MARCIA NEAVE, J.A.
PHILIP MANDIE, J.A.
BERNARD D. BONGIORNO, J.A.
D. L. HARPER, J.A.
H. R. HANSEN, J.
D. J. HABERSBERGER, J.
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R. S. OSBORN, J.
STEPHEN KAYE, J.
ELIZABETH HOLLINGWORTH, J.
KEVIN H. BELL, J.
ANTHONY CAVANOUGH, J.
TONY PAGONE, J.
JAMES JUDD, J.
EMILIOS KYROU, J.
DAVID F. R. BEACH, J.
JENNIFER DAVIES, J.
KARIN EMERTON, J.
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ENDNOTES
1 Rule 4: S.R. No. 148/2005. Reprint No. 2 incorporating amendments as at
1 November 2009. Reprinted to S.R. No. 109/2009 and subsequently
amended by S.R. Nos 60/2009, 97/2009, 132/2009, 144/2009, 146/2009,
22/2010 and 23/2010.
Endnotes
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