Summary CIV3701 - Civil Procedure NOTES.UPDATED.

INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL PROCEDURE PART 1 LIST OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 1 What is the law of civil procedure?.............................................................9 2 Civil law and criminal law..........................................................................9 3 Principles underlying the law of civil procedure ......................................11 4 Sources of the law of civil procedure ......................................................12 5 Institutions applying the law of civil procedure........................................13 CHAPTER 2: STRUCTURE OF THE COURTS AND OFFICERS OF THE COURTS 1 Introduction.............................................................................................14 2 Hierarchy of the South African Courts ....................................................15 2.1 The Constitutional Court.........................................................................15 2.2 The Supreme Court of Appeal .................................................................17 2.3 The High Courts ......................................................................................18 2.4 Magistrates’ Courts .................................................................................21 2.5 Courts of Chiefs and Headmen................................................................22 2.6 Small Claims Courts................................................................................23 2.6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................23 2.6.2 Jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court ....................................................23 2.6.3 Procedure in the Small Claims Courts....................................................25 2.6.4 Judgment and costs ...............................................................................25 2.6.5 Review....................................................................................................26 3 Specialized courts ...................................................................................27 3.1 Labour Courts .........................................................................................27 3.2 Land Claims Court...................................................................................28 3.3 Special Income Tax Courts......................................................................28 3.4 Competition Appeal Court........................................................................28 3.5 Electoral Court ........................................................................................29 3.6 Special Consumer Court .........................................................................29 3.7 Divorce Courts ........................................................................................29 3.8 Children’s Courts.....................................................................................30 3.9 Maintenance Courts ................................................................................30 3.10 Equality Courts........................................................................................31 4 Officers of the court .............................................................................. 31 4.1 Judges ....................................................................................................31 4.2 Magistrates .............................................................................................31 4.3 Registrars of the High Court ....................................................................32 4.4 Court Managers ………………………………………………………………31 4.5 Clerks and Registrars of the Magistrates Courts ......................................32 4.6 The Sheriff ..............................................................................................32 4.7 The Master of the High Court...................................................................33 4.8 Legal Practitioners...................................................................................33 3 CHAPTER 3: CONSULTATION, LEGAL REPRESENTATION, DEMAND AND PRESCRIPTION 1 The initial consultation ............................................................................35 2 The representation of parties..................................................................37 2.1 Representation in the High Court ...........................................................38 2.2 Representation in the Magistrates’ Courts..............................................39 3 The action and application procedure.....................................................40 4 Demand..................................................................................................42 5 Prescription and time-limitations statutes ...............................................44 5.1 General...................................................................................................44 5.2 The Prescription Act ...............................................................................45 5.3 Legal Proceedings Against Organs of State Act.....................................46 5.4 Road Accident Fund Act.........................................................................47 5.5 Apportionment of Damages Act..............................................................48 6 Superannuation ......................................................................................48 6.1 Superannuation of judgments.................................................................48 6.2 Superanuation of summons....................................................................45 CHAPTER 4: JURISDICTION – THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES 1 Introduction.............................................................................................49 2 General principles...................................................................................50 2.1 The principle of ‘actor sequitur forum rei’................................................50 2.2 The principle of effectiveness .................................................................51 2.3 The principle of convenience..................................................................52 2.4 The principle of consent (prorogation)....................................................52 3 Legal terminology ...................................................................................53 3.1 Incola......................................................................................................53 3.2 Peregrinus ..............................................................................................53 3.3 Local peregrinus .....................................................................................54 3.4 Foreign peregrinus .................................................................................54 4 The meaning of ‘domiciled’ and ‘resident’...............................................54 4.1 Natural persons ......................................................................................54 4.2 Juristic persons.......................................................................................55 4.2.1 Principal place of business .....................................................................55 4.2.2 Registered office.....................................................................................56 4.2.3 Where the corporation conducts business..............................................56 4.3 Foreign juristic persons ..........................................................................57 4.4 Partnerships ...........................................................................................57 4.5 The state.................................................................................................57 5 Inherent and prescribed jurisdiction........................................................58 6 General limitations on jurisdiction ...........................................................58 7 Specific jurisdictional provisions .............................................................59 7.1 Insolvency Act ........................................................................................59 7.2 Companies Act .......................................................................................60 7.3 Close Corporations Act...........................................................................60 4 CHAPTER 5: JURISDICTION OF THE HIGH COURTS 1 Introduction.............................................................................................61 1.1 The inherent jurisdiction of the high court...............................................61 1.2 ‘Inherent’ and ‘innate jurisdiction’............................................................62 1.3 Power to regulate its own procedure ......................................................62 1.4 Power to adjudicate non-procedural matters ..........................................63 2 Jurisdiction with regard to the value of the claim ....................................63 2.1 No limitation with regard to value............................................................63 2.2 The discretion regarding costs................................................................63 2.3 Removal of a matter to the magistrate’s court ........................................64 3 Jurisdiction with regard to the type of claim............................................64 4 Jurisdiction with regard to territory..........................................................65 4.1 The various divisions of the high court ...................................................65 4.2 S 21(1) of the Superior Courts Act..........................................................65 4.3 The common law rule in general terms...................................................66 4.3.1 The existence of a ‘link’ or a ‘ratio jurisdictionis’ .....................................66 4.3.2 Considerations of effectiveness..............................................................67 4.4 The rule in more specific terms...............................................................67 4.5 Jurisdiction in divorce actions.................................................................67 4.5.1 The common law position.......................................................................67 4.5.2 The divorce act.......................................................................................68 4.5.3 The term ‘domiciled’ ...............................................................................68 4.5.4 The term ‘ordinarily resident’ ..................................................................68 4.5.5 The definition of ‘divorce action’ .............................................................68 4.6 Proceedings relating to property.............................................................69 4.6.1 Immovable property................................................................................69 4.6.2 Movable property....................................................................................70 4.6.3 Incorporeal property ...............................................................................71 4.7 Proceedings in which a money judgment is claimed ..............................71 4.7.1 The rules regarding attachment..............................................................71 4.7.2 Miscellaneous issues relating to attachment ..........................................77 4.7.3 The doctrine of submission.....................................................................79 4.7.4 Timing of submission..............................................................................81 5 Concurrent jurisdiction............................................................................82 6 Jurisdiction for the purposes of counterclaims........................................82 7 The ‘causae continentia’ doctrine ...........................................................83 8 Removal of a matter to another division .................................................84 CHAPTER 6: JURISDICTION OF THE MAGISTRATES’ COURTS 1 Introduction.............................................................................................85 2 Jurisdiction with regard to the type of claim............................................87 2.1 Matters excluded in terms of s 46...........................................................87 2.1.1 Decrees of perpetual silence ..................................................................88 2.1.2 Claims for ‘specific performance’............................................................88 2.2 Matters which may be adjudicated in terms of s 29................................90 3 Jurisdiction with regard to the value of claim ..........................................92 4 Jurisdiction with regard to territory..........................................................93 5 Example of the application of the above principles.................................96 5 5.1 Problem ..................................................................................................96 5.2 Solution...................................................................................................97 6 Extension of jurisdiction..........................................................................97 6.1 Incidental jurisdiction ..............................................................................97 6.2 Abandonment of portion of a claim in terms of s 38................................98 6.2.1 When will a plaintiff abandon?................................................................98 6.2.2 Proviso to s 38........................................................................................99 6.2.3 Example one...........................................................................................99 6.2.4 Example two.........................................................................................100 6.3 Deduction of an admitted debt in terms of s 39 ....................................101 6.3.1 Where the plaintiff’s claim is partially successful ..................................101 6.3.2 Example................................................................................................101 6.3.3 Successful counterclaim after an abandonment ...................................103 6.3.4 Example................................................................................................103 6.4 Consent to the extension of jurisdiction in terms of s 45.......................104 6.4.1 Example one: clause in contract...........................................................105 6.4.2 Example two: clause in contract ...........................................................105 6.4.3 Example three: clause in letter by defendant to plaintiff .......................106 6.4.4 Example four: clause in letter by defendant to plaintiff .........................106 7 Further provisions and related matters .................................................106 7.1 Transfer of a matter from one court to another.....................................106 7.2 Splitting of claims is disallowed ............................................................107 7.3 Cumulative jurisdiction..........................................................................107 7.3.1 Example one.........................................................................................108 7.3.2 Example two.........................................................................................108 7.4 Counterclaim exceeding the jurisdiction of the court ............................108 7.5 Removal of a matter to a High Court ....................................................109 8 Attachments to found or confirm jurisdiction.........................................110 CHAPTER 7: THE PARTIES 1 Introduction...........................................................................................111 2 Locus standi .........................................................................................111 2.1 In the sense of capacity to litigate.........................................................112 2.2 In the sense of a right and interest in the relief claimed........................113 2.3 Standing to enforce rights guaranteed in the Constitution ....................113 2.4 Class Actions and Public Interest Actions.............................................114 3 Joinder of parties ..................................................................................118 3.1 General.................................................................................................118 3.2 Joinder of necessity (Compulsory joinder)............................................118 3.3 Joinder of convenience.........................................................................120 3.4 Non-joinder and misjoinder...................................................................121 3.5 Waiving the right to joinder ...................................................................121 3.6 Specific provisions relating to joinder in the High Court........................121 3.7 Specific provisions relating to joinder in the Magistrates’ Courts ..........122 4 Intervention...........................................................................................122 4.1 General.................................................................................................122 4.2 Intervention in the High Court...............................................................123 4.3 Intervention in the Magistrates’ Courts .................................................123 4.4 Test for intervention..............................................................................123 6 5 The third party procedure in terms of HCR 13......................................123 5.1 Introduction...........................................................................................124 5.2 HCR 13 and Apportionment of Damages .............................................125 5.3 Procedure.............................................................................................125 5.4 Third Party Procedure in the Magistrates' Court ...................................... 126 5.5 Parties to a suit: plurality of parties, cession and subrogation ........ …….126 CHAPTER 8: THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE 1 Introduction ...........................................................................................131 2 Types of applications.............................................................................132 3 The form of the proceedings.................................................................133 3.1 The notice of motion .............................................................................133 3.2 The affidavit..........................................................................................133 4 Applications in the high court................................................................134 4.1 The general rule ....................................................................................134 4.2 Disputes of fact......................................................................................135 4.3 Resolving a dispute of fact.....................................................................137 4.3.1 Dismiss the application.........................................................................138 4.3.2 Presentation of oral evidence ...............................................................138 4.3.3 Referral to trial......................................................................................140 4.4 General requirements of HCR 6 ...........................................................140 4.5 Ex parte applications ............................................................................141 4.5.1 The notice of motion in ex parte applications........................................143 4.5.2 Enrolment .............................................................................................143 4.5.3 Opposing an ex parte application .........................................................143 4.6 Bilateral applications.............................................................................144 4.6.1 The notice of motion in bilateral applications........................................144 4.6.2 Enrolment if unopposed........................................................................146 4.6.3 Opposing a bilateral application............................................................146 4.6.4 The replying affidavit ............................................................................147 4.6.5 Further affidavits...................................................................................148 4.6.6 Enrolment if opposed............................................................................148 4.7 Interim or interlocutory applications ......................................................149 4.8 Urgent applications................................................................................149 4.8.1 General.................................................................................................149 4.8.2 Notice of motion ....................................................................................151 4.8.3 The necessity to make out a case of urgency ........................................151 4.8.4 Provisions of the Practice Manual ........................................................152 4.8.5 Enrolment..............................................................................................153 4.8.6 Hearsay evidence in urgent applications................................................154 5 Applications in the Magistrates’ Courts ..................................................155 5.1 General.................................................................................................155 5.2 General requirements of MCR 55 ..........................................................158 5.3 Substantive applications and ex parte applications ................................159 5.4 Urgent applications in the Magistrates’ Courts .......................................161 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CHAPTER 9: THE ACTION PROCEDURE: THE PLEADING STAGE 1 Introduction...........................................................................................162 7 2 The purpose and function of a pleading ...............................................163 3 The different procedural steps in pleading............................................166 3.1 In the High Court ..................................................................................166 3.1.1 The particulars of claim and the summons ...........................................166 3.1.2 The plea................................................................................................166 3.1.3 The replication......................................................................................167 3.1.4 Further pleadings..................................................................................167 3.1.5 Time periods.........................................................................................168 3.2 In the Magistrates’ Courts.....................................................................168 3.3 Other issues pertaining to pleadings in general....................................168 4 The general rules and formalities of pleading.......................................169 4.1 The signature........................................................................................169 4.2 The heading..........................................................................................170 4.3 Division into paragraphs .......................................................................171 4.4 The pleading of material facts only .......................................................171 5 Particularity in pleading ........................................................................171 5.1 In general..............................................................................................172 5.2 The types of specific particularity required in pleading .........................174 5.3 Particularity regarding the plea, specifically..........................................176 6 A request for further particulars ............................................................176 7 Amendments and other variations to a pleading...................................176 CHAPTER 10: THE SUMMONS 1. The nature of a summons.................................................................... 177 2. The different types of summons .......................................................... 178 2.1 Why different types of summons ......................................................... 178 2.2 The high court simple summons.......................................................... 179 2.3 The high court combined summons 181 2.4 The magistrates’ court summons......................................................... 181 2.5 Provisional sentence summons ........................................................... 179 3. Summons procedure in the High Court ............................................... 183 3.1 General requirements.......................................................................... 183 3.2 The simple summons .......................................................................... 188 3.3 The combined summons ..................................................................... 188 4. Summons procedure in the Magistrates’ Court.................................... 189 4.1 The form .............................................................................................. 189 4.2 The procedural steps........................................................................... 189 5. Citation of parties in the High Court and Magistrates’ Court................ 197 5.1. Examples of citations........................................................................... 197 6. Amendments and other variations to a summons................................ 198 CHAPTER 11: SERVICE OF PROCESSES 1 Introduction ...........................................................................................202 2 Service by the sheriff.............................................................................203 2.1 Service in the High Court.......................................................................204 2.1.1 Types of process...................................................................................204 2.1.2 Time of service......................................................................................205 2.1.3 Manner of service in the High Court.......................................................205 8 2.1.4 Service upon an organ of State ............................................................207 2.2 Service in the Magistrates’ Courts..........................................................207 2.2.1 Time of service......................................................................................207 2.2.2 Manner of service in the Magistrates’ Courts .........................................208 3 If service cannot be effected in the prescribed manner...........................210 3.1 Substituted service ................................................................................210 3.2 Edictal citation .......................................................................................212 CHAPTER 12: INTENTION TO DEFEND, DEFAULT JUDGMENT AND RELATED MATTERS 1 Intention to defend..................................................................................212 2 Intention to defend in the High Court ......................................................... 213 2.1 Time within which intention to defend must be entered ............................ 213 2.2 Contents of notice of intention to defend.................................................... 213 2.3 Important aspects regarding the notice of intention to defend ................... 214 3 Notice of intention to defend in the Magistrates’Court ............................... 215 3.1 Time within which notice of intention to defend must be delivered ............ 215 3.2 Contents of notice of intention to defend.................................................... 215 3.3 Important aspects regarding the notice of intention to defend ................... 216 3.4 Irregular or defective notice of intention to defend in the Magistrates’ Court ............................................................................ 216 4 The default judgment procedure................................................................ 216 4.1 The meaning of default and default judgment............................................ 216 4.2 The types of default in the High Court and the Magistrates’ Court ............ 216 5 Consent to judgment.................................................................................. 221 6 Non compliance with and deviation from the rules .................................... 223 6.1 The position in the High Court.................................................................... 224 6.2 The position in the Magistrates’ Court........................................................ 226 CHAPTER 13: SUMMARY JUDGMENT 1 Introduction...........................................................................................230 2 Requirements for a summary judgment ...............................................231 2.1 Summary judgment is only applicable in four circumstances................231 2.2 The defendant must enter an intention to defend .................................232 2.3 What constitutes a bona fide defence?.................................................232 2.4 The defendant’s payment of security....................................................234 3 The procedure for a summary judgment...............................................235 3.1 The general procedure .........................................................................235 3.2 The step by step procedure..................................................................236 9 CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Law of Civil Procedure 1 WHAT IS THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE?.........................................9 2 CIVIL LAW AND CRIMINAL LAW...........................................................9 3 PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE ........11 4 SOURCES OF THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE...............................12 5 INSTITUTIONS APPLYING THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE ..........13 1 WHAT IS THE LAW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE? The Law of Civil Procedure is part of procedural law. A distinction must be made between substantive law and procedural law. Substantive law indicates what a person’s rights, duties and remedies are in a given situation. Procedural law indicates how those rights, remedies and duties can be enforced. Substantive law thus determines the content and scope of the rights, duties and remedies whilst procedural law provides the procedure for the enforcement of such rights, duties and remedies. For example, substantive law determines whether a person has a damages claim arising from a motor vehicle accident, while procedural law prescribes how the damages should be claimed. Substantive law and procedural law are thus interactive. Procedural law furnishes the mechanism for enforcement of substantive law. The law of civil procedure can be defined as that part of procedural law that regulates civil litigation and the enforcement of substantive rights, duties and remedies. It provides a mechanism for the enforcement of rights that are derived from substantive private law and certain aspects of public law such as constitutional law and administrative law. It enables a party to approach a court for legal relief claimed on the basis of the infringement of a right which that party enjoys, for example, a breach of contract or the infringement of a constitutional right. 2 CIVIL LAW AND CRIMINAL LAW Civil law and the law of civil procedure should not be confused with criminal law or the law of criminal procedure. Civil law and procedure enables parties to take action to enforce rights and claim remedies or to defend actions brought against them. Criminal procedure enables the state, acting on behalf of the general public, to take action against persons who infringe rules of criminal law. The purpose of criminal law is to protect the public against threats to safety and security and the object of criminal proceedings is to punish wrongdoers. The parties to criminal proceedings will always be the state, acting on behalf of the public, on the one hand, and the wrongdoer, on the other. The parties in civil proceedings act on their own behalf in enforcing or defending claims. They are usually private parties, but the state may litigate as a party on its own behalf, for