Θεσμοί Πολιτικής Δικονόμίας - ORDER 28: DISCOVERY AND INSPECTION

1. Any party may, without filing any affidavit, apply to the Court or a Judge for an order directing any other party to any cause or matter to make discovery on oath of the documents which are or have been in his possession or power relating to any matter in question therein. On the hearing of such application the Court or Judge may either refuse or adjourn the same, if satisfied that such discovery is not necessary, or not necessary at that stage of the cause or matter, or make such order, either generally or limited to certain classes of documents, as may, in the Court's or Judge's discretion, be thought fit : provided that discovery shall not be ordered when and so far as the Court or Judge shall be of opinion that it is not necessary either for disposing fairly of the cause or matter or for saving costs. If an order is made for discovery, such order shall specify the time within which the party directed to make discovery shall file his affidavit.

2. The affidavit to be made by a party against whom such order as is mentioned in Rule 1 of this Order has been made shall be in Form 22 and shall specify which (if any) of the documents therein mentioned such party objects to produce.

3. If a party ordered to make discovery of documents fails so to do, he shall not afterwards be at liberty to put in evidence on his behalf in the action any document he failed to discover or to allow to be inspected, unless the Court is satisfied that he had sufficient excuse for so failing, in which case the Court may allow such document to be put in evidence on such terms as it may think fit.

4. It shall be lawful for the Court or a Judge, at any time during the pendency of any cause or matter, to order the production by any party thereto upon oath of such of the documents in his possession or power, relating to any matter in question in such cause or matter, as the Court or Judge shall think right; and the Court may deal with such documents when produced in such manner as shall appear just.

5. An application for an order to inspect documents except such as are disclosed in the pleadings, particulars or affidavits of the party against whom the application is made, shall be founded upon an affidavit showing of what documents inspection is sought, that the party applying is entitled to inspect them, and that they are in the possession or power of the other party. The Court or Judge shall not make such order for inspection of such documents when and so far as the Court or Judge shall be of opinion that it is not necessary either for disposing fairly of the cause or matter or for saving costs.

6. Where any party to a cause or matter has in his pleadings particulars or affidavits referred to any document he may be required by any other party thereto by notice in writing to produce such document for the inspection of the party giving such notice or of his advocate and to permit him or them to take copies thereof. Any party failing to comply with such notice shall not afterwards be at liberty to put any such document in evidence on his behalf in such cause or matter, unless he shall satisfy the Court that such document relates only to his own title, he being a defendant to the cause or matter, or that he had some other cause or excuse which the Court shall deem sufficient for not complying with the notice, in which case the Court may allow the same to be put in evidence on such terms as to costs and otherwise as the Court shall think just.

8. The party to whom such notice is given shall, within five days from the receipt of such notice if all the documents therein referred to have been set forth by him in an affidavit of discovery under Rule 2 of this Order or within ten days from the receipt of such notice if any of the documents referred to therein have not been set forth in any such affidavit, deliver to the party requiring inspection of the documents a notice stating a time within three days from the delivery thereof at which the documents or such of them as he does not object to produce may be inspected at the office of his advocate, or in the case of bankers' books or other books of account or books in constant use for the purpose of any trade or business at their usual place of custody, and stating which (if any) of the documents he objects to produce and on what ground. Such notice shall be in Form 24.

9. If a party served with notice under Rule 6 of this Order omits to give such notice of a time for inspection or objects to give inspection, or offers inspection elsewhere than at the office of his advocate, the Court or a Judge may, on the application of the party desiring it, make an order for inspection in such place and in such manner as the Court or Judge may think fit : provided that the order shall not be made when and so far as the Court or Judge shall be of opinion that it is not necessary either for disposing fairly of the cause or matter or for saving costs.

10. Where on an application for an order for inspection privilege is claimed for any document, it shall be lawful for the Court or a Judge to inspect the document for the purpose of deciding as to the validity of the claim of privilege.

11. The Court or a Judge may, on the application of any party to a cause or matter at any time, and whether an affidavit of documents shall or shall not have already been ordered or made, make an order requiring any other party to state by affidavit whether any particular document or documents or any class or classes of documents specified or indicated in the application, is or are, or has or have at any time been, in his possession, custody or power; and, if not then in his possession, custody or power, when he parted with the same and what has become thereof. Such application shall be made on an affidavit stating that in the belief of the deponent the party against whom the application is made has, or has at some time had in his possession, custody or power, the particular document or documents or the class or classes of documents specified or indicated in the application, and that they relate to the matters in question in the cause or matter, or to some or one of them.

12. If any party refuses to allow inspection at the place named by him in that behalf and within the prescribed time of any document which he has not objected to produce, or if he fails to comply with any order for discovery or inspection of documents, he shall be liable to attachment. He shall also, if a plaintiff, be liable to have his action dismissed for want of prosecution, and, if a defendant, to have his defence (if any) struck out, and to be placed in the same position as if he had not defended, and the party seeking discovery or inspection may apply to the Court for an order to that effect, and an order may be made accordingly.

13. Service of an order for discovery or inspection made against any party on his advocate shall be sufficient service to found an application for an attachment for disobedience to the order. But the party against whom the application for an attachment is made may show in answer to the application that he has had no notice or knowledge of the order.

14. An advocate upon whom an order against any party for discovery or inspection is served under Rule 13 of this Order, who neglects without reasonable excuse to give notice thereof to his client, shall be liable to attachment.