Pleadings Flashcards
What is a pleading?
A formal written statement that establishes the LEGAL FRAMEWORK for the claim/defence in an action and provides the supporting facts
A pleading contains
allegations that have not been proven or tested in court
Under the Rules of the Small Claims Court, what are the three pleadings?
- plaintiff’s claim (Rule 7)
- defence (Rule 9)
- defendant’s claim (Rule 10)
A pleading must set out the
material facts that are needed to establish a cause of action or a defence
Knowledge may be alleged as a fact without
pleading the circumstances from which it is to be inferred
It may not be necessary to plead matters of which the court will take judicial notice, including:
- general law
- Acts of Parliament and provincial legislature
- Royal Proclamations
Parties may plead inconsistent allegations provided that they are not
shams or wholly fictitious, and it is made clear that the allegations are pleaded in the alternative
What are the required elements of a plaintiff’s claim?
- parties names and their capacities, if relevant
- nature of the claim and supporting material facts
- the facts establishing jurisdiction
- issues or questions to be determined by the court
- the amount of the claim and the relief sought
- applicable law and any relevant statutes
- request for costs and prejudgement and postjudgement interest
- does NOT anticipate possible defences
Pleadings should be divided into
consecutively numbered paragraphs, each allegation in its own paragraph
- first paragraph identifies the nature of relief sought
- second and following paragraphs identify the relevant parties and their capacities
- remaining paragraphs state the allegations and material facts that give rise to the cause of action
What are damages?
The amount of money that is claimed or is ordered to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injuries
As of January 1 2020, the maximum amount of damages that can be awarded in the Small Claims Court is
$35,000
special/pecuniary damages are
to compensate a plaintiff for a quanitifiable monetary loss
general/non-pecuniary damages are
for non-monetary losses suffered by a plaintiff, like pain and suffering, disfigurement, mental distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of amenities
compensatory/actual damages are
for the actual loss sustained by the plaintiff, that will effectively place the plaintiff in the situation that it would have been in had the wrong not occured (tort) or had the contract been performed (contract)
What are aggravated damages?
damages in recognition of, and to compensate a plaintiff for, suggering intangible damages such as mental distress, pain, anguish, grief, anxiety, vexation, humiliation, indignation, outrage, and wounded pride because of the defendant’s actions. intended to COMPENSATE for the aggravation of the injury
What are punitive (exemplary) damages?
non-compensatory damages to punish the defendant for its shockingly harsh, vindictive, reprehensible or malicious behaviour