RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194

JurisdictionOntario

Courts of Justice Act

R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 194

RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

Consolidation Period: From November 4, 2023 to the e-Laws currency date.

Last amendment: 188/23.

This is the English version of a bilingual regulation.

GENERAL MATTERs

RULE 1 CITATION, APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION

Citation

Title

1.01 (1) These rules may be cited as the Rules of Civil Procedure. O. Reg. 575/07, s. 6 (1).

Subdivision

(2) In these rules,

(a) all the provisions identified by the same number to the left of the decimal point comprise a Rule (for example, Rule 1, which consists of rules 1.01 to 1.09);

(b) a provision identified by a number with a decimal point is a rule (for example, rule 1.01); and

(c) a rule may be subdivided into,

(i) subrules (for example, subrule 1.01 (2)),

(ii) clauses (for example, clause 1.01 (2) (c) or 2.02 (a)),

(iii) subclauses (for example, subclause 1.01 (2) (c) (iii) or 7.01 (c) (i)),

(iv) paragraphs (for example, paragraph 1 of subrule 52.07 (1)), and

(v) definitions (for example, the definition of “action” in rule 1.03). R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194, r. 1.01 (2); O. Reg. 284/01, s. 1; O. Reg. 575/07, s. 6 (2).

Alternative Method of Referring to Rules

(3) In a proceeding in a court, it is sufficient to refer to a rule or subdivision of a rule as “rule” followed by the number of the rule, subrule, clause, subclause or paragraph (for example, rule 1.01, rule 1.01 (2), rule 1.01 (2) (c), rule 1.01 (2) (c) (iii) or rule 52.07 (1) 1). R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194, r. 1.01 (3).

Application of Rules

Court of Appeal and Superior Court of Justice

1.02 (1) These rules apply to all civil proceedings in the Court of Appeal and in the Superior Court of Justice, subject to the following exceptions:

1. They do not apply to proceedings in the Small Claims Court, which are governed by Ontario Regulation 258/98 (Rules of the Small Claims Court).

2. They do not apply to proceedings governed by Ontario Regulation 114/99 (Family Law Rules), except as provided in those rules.

3. They do not apply if a statute provides for a different procedure. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194, r. 1.02 (1); O. Reg. 484/94, s. 1; O. Reg. 288/99, s. 1 (1, 2); O. Reg. 292/99, s. 1 (1, 2); O. Reg. 131/04, s. 1 (1, 2); O. Reg. 394/09, s. 1.

Combined Proceeding in Family Court of Superior Court of Justice

(1.1) Where a proceeding combines a matter to which the Family Law Rules apply with a matter to which these rules would ordinarily apply, the parties may agree, or the court on motion may order, that the Family Law Rules apply to the combined proceeding or part of it. O. Reg. 131/04, s. 1 (3).

(2)-(4) Revoked: O. Reg. 504/00, s. 1.

Definitions

1.03 (1) In these rules, unless the context requires otherwise,

“action” means a proceeding that is not an application and includes a proceeding commenced by,

(a) statement of claim,

(b) notice of action,

(c) counterclaim,

(d) crossclaim, or

(e) third or subsequent party claim; (“action”)

“appellant” means a person who brings an appeal; (“appelant”)

“appellate court” means the Court of Appeal or the Divisional Court, as the circumstances require; (“tribunal d’appel”)

“applicant” means a person who makes an application; (“requérant”)

“application” means a proceeding commenced by notice of application; (“requête”)

“certificate of appointment of estate trustee” means letters probate, letters of administration or letters of administration with the will annexed, and includes a small estate certificate or amended small estate certificate (74C, 74.1C or 74.1F); (“certificat de nomination à titre de fiduciaire de la succession”)

“county” includes a district, a regional or district municipality, and the City of Toronto; (“comté”)

“court” means the court in which a proceeding is pending and, in the case of a proceeding in the Superior Court of Justice, includes an associate judge; (“tribunal”)

“defendant” means a person against whom an action is commenced; (“défendeur”)

“deliver” means serve and file with proof of service, and “delivery” has a corresponding meaning; (“remettre”, “remise”)

“disability”, where used in respect of a person, means that the person is,

(a) a minor,

(b) mentally incapable within the meaning of section 6 or 45 of the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 in respect of an issue in the proceeding, whether the person has a guardian or not, or

(c) an absentee within the meaning of the Absentees Act; (“incapable”, “incapacité”)

“discovery” means discovery of documents, examination for discovery, inspection of property and medical examination of a party as provided under Rules 30 to 33; (“enquête préalable”)

“document” includes data and information in electronic form; (“document”)

“electronic” includes created, recorded, transmitted or stored in digital form or in other intangible form by electronic, magnetic or optical means or by any other means that has capabilities for creation, recording, transmission or storage similar to those means, and “electronically” has a corresponding meaning; (“électronique”, “par voie électronique”)

“hearing” means the hearing of an application, motion, reference, appeal or assessment of costs, or a trial; (“audience”)

“holiday” means,

(a) any Saturday or Sunday,

(b) New Year’s Day,

(b.1) Family Day,

(c) Good Friday,

(d) Easter Monday,

(e) Victoria Day,

(f) Canada Day,

(g) Civic Holiday,

(h) Labour Day,

(i) Thanksgiving Day,

(j) Remembrance Day,

(k) Christmas Day,

(l) Boxing Day, and

(m) any special holiday proclaimed by the Governor General or the Lieutenant Governor,

and where New Year’s Day, Canada Day or Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is a holiday, and where Christmas Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday are holidays, and where Christmas Day falls on a Friday, the following Monday is a holiday; (“jour férié”)

“judge” means a judge of the court but does not include an associate judge; (“juge”)

“judgment” means a decision that finally disposes of an application or action on its merits and includes a judgment entered in consequence of the default of a party; (“jugement”)

“lawyer” means a person authorized under the Law Society Act to practise law in Ontario; (“avocat”)

“lawyer’s office” means the office of the lawyer of record as set out in the last document filed by him or her; (“bureau de l’avocat”)

“limited scope retainer” means the provision of legal services by a lawyer for part, but not all, of a client’s legal matter by agreement between the lawyer and the client; (“mandat à portée limitée”)

“motion” means a motion in a proceeding or an intended proceeding; (“motion”)

“moving party” means a person who makes a motion; (“auteur de la motion”)

“order” includes a judgment; (“ordonnance”)

“originating process” means a document that commences a proceeding under these rules, and includes,

(a) a statement of claim,

(b) a notice of action,

(c) a notice of application,

(d) an application for a certificate of appointment of estate trustee, a small estate certificate or an amended small estate certificate,

(e) a counterclaim against a person who is not already a party to the main action, and

(f) a third or subsequent party claim,

but does not include a counterclaim that is only against persons who are parties to the main action, a crossclaim or a notice of motion; (“acte introductif d’instance”)

“partial indemnity costs” mean costs awarded in accordance with Part I of Tariff A, and “on a partial indemnity basis” has a corresponding meaning; (“dépens d’indemnisation partielle”)

“person” includes a party to a proceeding; (“personne”)

“plaintiff” means a person who commences an action; (“demandeur”)

“proceeding” means an action or application; (“instance”)

“referee” means the person to whom a reference in a proceeding is directed; (“arbitre”)

“registrar” means the Registrar of the Divisional Court or Court of Appeal, or a local registrar of the Superior Court of Justice, as the circumstances require; (“greffier”)

“respondent” means a person against whom an application is made or an appeal is brought, as the circumstances require; (“intimé”)

“responding party” means a person against whom a motion is made; (“partie intimée”)

“statute” includes a statute passed by the Parliament of Canada; (“loi”)

“substantial indemnity costs” mean costs awarded in an amount that is 1.5 times what would otherwise be awarded in accordance with Part I of Tariff A, and “on a substantial indemnity basis” has a corresponding meaning; (“dépens d’indemnisation substantielle”)

“timetable” means a schedule for the completion of one or more steps required to advance the proceeding (including delivery of affidavits of documents, examinations under oath, where available, or motions), established by order of the court or by written agreement of the parties that is not contrary to an order; (“calendrier”)

“will” includes any testamentary instrument of which probate or administration may be granted. (“testament”)

R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194, r. 1.03; O. Reg. 535/92, s. 2; O. Reg. 484/94, s. 2; O. Reg. 69/95, s. 1; O. Reg. 442/97, s. 1; O. Reg. 570/98, s. 1; O. Reg. 292/99, s. 1 (2); O. Reg. 427/01, s. 1 (1); O. Reg. 284/01, s. 2; O. Reg. 14/04, s. 1 (1); O. Reg. 131/04, s. 2; O. Reg. 42/05, s. 1; O. Reg. 260/05, s. 1; O. Reg. 575/07, s. 7; O. Reg. 438/08, ss. 1, 66; O. Reg. 231/13, s. 1; O. Reg. 711/20, s. 1; O. Reg. 383/21, s. 1, 15; O. Reg. 709/21, s. 1.

(2) Revoked: O. Reg. 14/04, s. 1 (2).

Interpretation

General Principle

1.04 (1) These rules shall be liberally construed to secure the just, most expeditious and least expensive determination of every civil proceeding on its merits. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194, r. 1.04 (1).

Proportionality

(1.1) In applying these rules, the court shall make orders and give directions that are proportionate to the importance and complexity of the issues, and to...

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