Small Claims Trials (20:XIV): Difference between revisions

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It may be necessary to comment on  the credibility of witnesses,  conflicts in testimony, and the insufficiency of evidence. The comments should be factual and allow the judge to arrive at a conclusion.
It may be necessary to comment on  the credibility of witnesses,  conflicts in testimony, and the insufficiency of evidence. The comments should be factual and allow the judge to arrive at a conclusion.
It  is  also  important  to  summarise  the  relevant  law  and  refer  to  specific  cases  that  are  on point.  All case law should have been shared with all other parties well in advance of the trial.
Closing is not an opportunity to introduce new evidence.  If something has been omitted,  it can only be introduced if the judge grants permission to re-open that party’s case.
=== 10. Judgment ===
When the evidence, submissions, and closing arguments are finished, the judge must give a decision.  The  judge  may  give  a  decision  orally  at  the  end  of  the  trial,  at  a  later  date,  or  in writing265. The registrar will notify the parties of the date to come back to court for reasons or, if the decision is in writing, when it was filed in the registry266.
When  payment  from  one  party  to  another  is  part  of  the  judgment,  the  judge  must  make  a payment  order  at  the  end  of  the  trial  and  ask  the  debtor whether  he  or  she  needs  time  to pay267. If the debtor does not require time to pay, the judgment must be paid immediately268. If time to pay is needed, the debtor may propose a payment schedule, and if the successful party agrees, the judge may order payment by a certain date or by instalments269. If the creditor does not  agree  to  the  debtor’ s  proposal,  the  judge  may  order  a  payment  schedule or  a  payment hearing270.
If a payment schedule is not ordered, the debt is payable immediately and the creditor is free to start collection proceedings271.

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