Victorian Current Acts

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CIVIL PROCEDURE ACT 2010 - SECT 42

Proper basis certification

S. 42(1) substituted by No. 62/2012 s. 14(1).

    (1)     A legal practitioner acting for or on behalf of a party to the proceeding must file a proper basis certification which complies with this section in the following circumstances—

        (a)     on the filing of a party's first substantive document in a civil proceeding;

        (b)     on the filing of any subsequent substantive document in a civil proceeding which—

              (i)     adds or substitutes a party; or

              (ii)     makes, adds or substitutes a claim or cause of action; or

              (iii)     makes, adds or substitutes a substantive defence or substantive matter by way of response or reply; or

              (iv)     makes, adds or substitutes a material allegation denial or non-admission of fact or law; or

              (v)     makes any significant amendment to a first substantive document or a subsequent substantive document;

        (c)     as provided for by rules of court;

        (d)     as directed by the court in any civil proceeding.

S. 42(1A) inserted by No. 62/2012 s. 14(1).

    (1A)     In the case of a civil proceeding which involves allegations of fact, a legal practitioner making a proper basis certification must certify that on the factual and legal material available—

        (a)     each allegation of fact in the document has a proper basis;

        (b)     each denial in the document has a proper basis;

        (c)     there is a proper basis for each non-admission in the document.

S. 42(1B) inserted by No. 62/2012 s. 14(1).

    (1B)     In the case of a civil proceeding commenced by originating motion seeking a particular legal relief or remedy, a legal practitioner making a proper basis certification must certify, as the case requires, that on the factual and legal material available—

        (a)     the claim in the document, or a response to a claim in the document, has a proper basis; or

        (b)     the question posed by the party to the court in the document, or a response to a question posed, has a proper basis.

S. 42(1C) inserted by No. 62/2012 s. 14(1).

    (1C)     Despite subsections (1) to (1B), a legal practitioner is not required to make a proper basis certification if rules of court provide that a process or document is exempt from the proper basis certification requirement because it is administrative in nature.

Example

Registration of judgments.

    (2)     A proper basis certification must be in accordance with the rules of court.

    (3)     For the purposes of this section, a determination by a legal practitioner

        (a)     as to whether any allegation or denial of fact has a proper basis, on the factual and legal material available, must be based on a reasonable belief as to the truth or untruth of the allegation or denial; or

S. 42(3)(b) amended by No. 62/2012 s. 14(2)(a).

        (b)     as to the proper basis of any non-admission is that the legal practitioner does not know, and therefore cannot say, whether a fact alleged or denial is true or untrue; or

S. 42(3)(c) inserted by No. 62/2012 s. 14(2)(b).

        (c)     as to whether any claim, response to a claim, question posed or response to a question posed has a proper basis, on the factual and legal material available, must be based on a reasonable belief that the claim, response to a claim, question or response to a question has a proper basis.

    (4)     If a party is not represented by a legal practitioner

        (a)     the proper basis certification must be completed personally by that party; and

        (b)     a reference in this section to "legal practitioner" is to be construed as a reference to that party.

S. 43 repealed by No. 1/2011 s. 8.

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