What:
Summons constitutes a ‘legal process’ which
initiates the action procedure/trial action against
the defendant
= A written judicial demand
Service:
It is served on the defendant by the Sheriff of the
court
It is addressed to the Sheriff and directs him to
inform the defendant of:
Nature of the plaintiff’s claim
Procedural steps to be followed in order to
dispute plaintiff’s claim
Prescribed time limits (dies induciae) to be
followed
Notes:
Must be signed by the plaintiff / plaintiff’s legal
representative
Must be issued by the Registrar of the HC
Regulated by HCR 17 and MCR 5
FUNCTION OF A SUMMONS:
Function = 2-fold:
It informs the defendant of the nature the
plaintiff’s claim / cause of action
Initiates the process whereby defendant is
brought before court
LEGAL EFFECT/ SIGNIFICANCE OF A SUMMONS:
3 Main legal effects:
, Determines the jurisdiction of the court
Interrupts the running of prescription
Lis pendens
Determines the jurisdiction of the court:
Plaintiff must abide by the choice of forum
Change of jurisdiction may only be made:
By permission of the court
By a withdrawal of the original summons
Interrupts the running of prescription:
S15(1) Prescription Act provides that the running
of prescription shall be interrupted by service on
the debtor of any legal process
Must be a successful service of the summons
Lis pendens:
Prevents the issuing of a second summons
against same defendant for same cause of action
in the same/different court
TYPES OF SUMMONS:
Main types:
Simple Summons (HC and MC)
Combined Summons (HC and MC)
Provisional Sentence Summons (HC and MC)
Automatic Rent Interdict Summons (Only MC)
Choice on the type of summons depends on the
nature of the plaintiff’s claim
Common features of the Summons’:
Citation of the parties
Warning to the defendant
Details of the claim
Options available to defendant when he receives the
delivery of the summons:
Defend – deliver a notice of intention to defend
May pay plaintiff’s claim
May consent to judgment
May choose not to defend – default judgment
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller shaly. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.53. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.