Federal Courts Rules (SOR/98-106)

Marginal note:Amendment to add new cause of action

201 An amendment may be made under rule 76 notwithstanding that the effect of the amendment will be to add or substitute a new cause of action, if the new cause of action arises out of substantially the same facts as a cause of action in respect of which the party seeking the amendment has already claimed relief in the action.

Close of Pleadings

Marginal note:Close of pleadings

202 Pleadings are closed

• (a) where a statement of defence has not been filed within the period set out in rule 204, on the expiration of that period;

• (b) on the filing of a reply; or

• (c) on the expiration of the time for filing a reply.

Time for Service of Pleadings

Marginal note:Statement of claim

• 203 (1) A statement of claim shall be served within 60 days after it is issued.

• Marginal note:Proof of service

  (2) Proof of service of a statement of claim shall be filed within the time set out in rule 204 for the service and filing of a statement of defence.

Marginal note:Defence

• 204 (1) A defendant shall defend an action by serving and filing a statement of defence within

  • (a) 30 days after the day on which of the statement of claim is served, if the defendant is served in Canada or the United States; and

  • (b) 60 days after the day on which of the statement of claim is served, if the defendant is served outside Canada and the United States.

• Marginal note:Extension of time

  (2) However, if the defendant serves and files a notice of intention to respond in accordance with rule 204.1, the time for serving and filing the statement of defence is extended by 10 days.

Marginal note:Notice of intention to respond

204.1 A defendant who is served with a statement of claim and who intends to respond to the action may, within 10 days after the day on which they are served, serve on the plaintiff and file a notice of intention to respond in Form 204.1.

Marginal note:Reply

205 A plaintiff’s reply to a statement of defence shall be served and filed within 10 days after service of the statement of defence.

Marginal note:Documents referred to in pleadings

206 A copy of every document referred to in a pleading shall be served with the pleading or within 10 days after service of the pleading, unless

• (a) the party being served waives its right to the copy; or

• (b) the Court orders otherwise.

Marginal note:Service of counterclaim where no new party added

• 207 (1) Where a counterclaim is brought against a plaintiff only, or against only a plaintiff and another party to the action, the statement of defence and counterclaim shall be served and filed within the time set out in rule 204.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Where a defendant to a counterclaim who is also a defendant in the action has failed to file a statement of defence in the action, that defendant shall be served personally with a statement of defence and counterclaim.

Preliminary Matters

Marginal note:No attornment to jurisdiction

208 A party does not attorn to the jurisdiction of the Court by

• (a) filing a notice of intention to respond; or

• (b) bringing a motion to object to

  • (i) any irregularity in the commencement of the action,

  • (ii) the service of the statement of claim,

  • (iii) the Court as not being a convenient forum, or

  • (iv) the jurisdiction of the Court.

209 [Repealed, SOR/2021-246, s. 9]

Default Proceedings

Marginal note:Motion for default judgment

• 210 (1) Where a defendant fails to serve and file a statement of defence within the time set out in rule 204 or any other time fixed by an order of the Court, the plaintiff may bring a motion for judgment against the defendant on the statement of claim.

• Marginal note:Motion in writing

  (2) Subject to section 25 of the Crown Liability and Proceedings Act, a motion under subsection (1) may be brought ex parte and in accordance with rule 369.

• Marginal note:Affidavit evidence

  (3) A motion under subsection (1) shall be supported by affidavit evidence.

• Marginal note:Disposition of motion

  (4) On a motion under subsection (1), the Court may

  • (a) grant judgment;

  • (b) dismiss the action; or

  • (c) order that the action proceed to trial and that the plaintiff prove its case in such a manner as the Court may direct.

Marginal note:Service pursuant to order for substitutional service

211 Judgment shall not be given against a defendant who is in default where service of the statement of claim was effected pursuant to an order for substitutional service, unless the Court is satisfied that it is just to do so having regard to all the circumstances.

Marginal note:Service pursuant to Hague Convention

• 212 (1) Where a statement of claim was sent abroad for service on a defendant in a contracting state to the Hague Convention and the defendant has not filed a defence, judgment shall not be given under rule 210 unless the Court is satisfied that

  • (a) the statement of claim was

    • (i) served by a method prescribed by the law of the state in which service was made, or

    • (ii) delivered to the defendant or to the defendant’s residence by another method provided for in the Hague Convention; and

  • (b) the defendant has had sufficient time after the service or delivery to file a defence.

• Marginal note:Judgment

  (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Court may give judgment under rule 210 if

  • (a) the statement of claim was sent by a method provided for in the Hague Convention;

  • (b) a period of not less than six months, or such longer period as the Court considers adequate in the circumstances, has elapsed since the day on which the statement of claim was sent; and

  • (c) no certificate under article 6 of the Hague Convention was received, and every reasonable effort was made to obtain such a certificate through the competent authorities of the state to which the statement of claim was sent.

• Marginal note:Interlocutory injunction or mandamus

  (3) This rule does not preclude the Court from making an order under rule 373 before service of the statement of claim.

Summary Judgment and Summary Trial

Motion and Service

Marginal note:Motion by a party

• 213 (1) A party may bring a motion for summary judgment or summary trial on all or some of the issues raised in the pleadings at any time after the defendant has filed a defence but before the time and place for trial have been fixed.

• Marginal note:Further motion

  (2) If a party brings a motion for summary judgment or summary trial, the party may not bring a further motion for either summary judgment or summary trial except with leave of the Court.

• Marginal note:Obligations of moving party

  (3) A motion for summary judgment or summary trial in an action may be brought by serving and filing a notice of motion and motion record at least 20 days before the day set out in the notice for the hearing of the motion.

• Marginal note:Obligations of responding party

  (4) A party served with a motion for summary judgment or summary trial shall serve and file a respondent’s motion record not later than 10 days before the day set out in the notice of motion for the hearing of the motion.

Summary Judgment

Marginal note:Facts and evidence required

214 A response to a motion for summary judgment shall not rely on what might be adduced as evidence at a later stage in the proceedings. It must set out specific facts and adduce the evidence showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.

Marginal note:If no genuine issue for trial

• 215 (1) If on a motion for summary judgment the Court is satisfied that there is no genuine issue for trial with respect to a claim or defence, the Court shall grant summary judgment accordingly.

• Marginal note:Genuine issue of amount or question of law

  (2) If the Court is satisfied that the only genuine issue is

  • (a) the amount to which the moving party is entitled, the Court may order a trial of that issue or grant summary judgment with a reference under rule 153 to determine the amount; or

  • (b) a question of law, the Court may determine the question and grant summary judgment accordingly.

• Marginal note:Powers of Court

  (3) If the Court is satisfied that there is a genuine issue of fact or law for trial with respect to a claim or a defence, the Court may

  • (a) nevertheless determine that issue by way of summary trial and make any order necessary for the conduct of the summary trial; or

  • (b) dismiss the motion in whole or in part and order that the action, or the issues in the action not disposed of by summary judgment, proceed to trial or that the action be conducted as a specially managed proceeding.

Summary Trial

Marginal note:Motion record for summary trial

• 216 (1) The motion record for a summary trial shall contain all of the evidence on which a party seeks to rely, including

  • (a) affidavits;

  • (b) admissions under rule 256;

  • (c) affidavits or statements of an expert witness prepared in accordance with subsection 258(5); and

  • (d) any part of the evidence that would be admissible under rules 288 and 289.

• Marginal note:Further affidavits or statements

  (2) No further affidavits or statements may be served, except

  • (a) in the case of the moving party, if their content is limited to evidence that would be admissible at trial as rebuttal evidence and they are served and filed at least 5 days before the day set out in the notice of motion for the hearing of the summary trial; or

  • (b) with leave of the Court.

• Marginal note:Conduct of summary trial

  (3) The Court may make any order required for the conduct of the summary trial, including an order requiring a deponent or an expert who has given a statement to attend for cross-examination before the Court.

• Marginal note:Adverse inference

  (4) The Court may draw an adverse inference if a party fails to cross-examine on an affidavit or to file responding or rebuttal evidence.

• Marginal note:Dismissal of motion

  (5) The Court shall dismiss the motion if

  • (a) the issues raised are not suitable for summary trial; or

  • (b) a summary trial would not assist in the efficient resolution of the action.

• Marginal note:Judgment generally or on issue

  (6) If the Court is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence for adjudication, regardless of the amounts involved, the complexities of the issues and the existence of conflicting evidence, the Court may grant judgment either generally or on an issue, unless the Court is of the opinion that it would be unjust to decide the issues on the motion.

• Marginal note:Order disposing of action

  (7) On granting judgment, the Court may make any order necessary for the disposition of the action, including an order

  • (a) directing a trial to determine the amount to which the moving party is entitled or a reference under rule 153 to determine that amount;

  • (b) imposing terms respecting the enforcement of the judgment; and

  • (c) awarding costs.

• Marginal note:Trial or specially managed proceeding

  (8) If the motion for summary trial is dismissed in whole or in part, the Court may order the action, or the issues in the action not disposed of by summary trial, to proceed to trial or order that the action be conducted as a specially managed proceeding.