Magistrate’s Court Rules amended

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33355, 13 October 1973, Page 16

Magistrate’s Court Rules amended

(X.Z. Press Association > WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. Plaintiffs in magistrate’s court actions will be able to require defendants to file and serve statements of defence 'under amendments to the j Magistrate’s Courts Rules gazetted tonight. The defendant is required to supply [such a statement within 10 days of receiving the notice. 1 The regulations come into force on October 25. [ At present only the magistrate can require a defendant [to file particulars of his defence. | Another amendment allows [a party to any proceedings to [apply to the court for an [order to allow him to serve “interrogatories” on any other partv. These are questions which must be answered on oath. This provision has applied in the Supreme Court but not in magistrate’s courts. | The rules make clear that, iin an action for defamation, where the defendant pleads that the words or matters complained of were fair comment on a matter of public

[interest or were published on a privileged occasion, no interrogatories on the de fendant’s sources of informajtion or grounds of belief shall be allowed. Another amendment permits the court to have a witness, whose evidence has been supplied in a deposition, brought before it if his credibility is likely to be of decisive importance.