Part 4 — Civil Claims
64 Pre-trial conference
parties or their lawyers or agents, as the case may be, to appear
before the Court for a pre-trial conference to consider one or more
of the following:
(a) the possibility of settling the claim, counterclaim or oth er
matter, as the case may be, by agreement;
(b) the simplification of the issues;
(c) the necessity or desirability of amendments to pleadings;
(d) the possibility of obtainin g any admission that will facilitate
the trial;
(e) any other matters that may aid in the disposition of the
action.
(2) During or at the conclusion of a pre-trial conference or
otherwise in respect of a pre-trial conference, the Court may make
an order doing one or more of the following:
(a) giving directions with respect to matters raised or otherw ise
considered during the pre-trial conference;
(b) setting out the results o f the pre-trial conference;
(c) amending pleadings;
(d) striking out pleadings and entering judgment by reason of
the failure of a party to attend a pre-trial conference;
(d.1) striking out or amending a claim, dispute note or
counterclaim by reason that the claim, dispute note or
counterclaim
(i) discloses no cause of action or defence,
RSA 2000
(ii) is scandalous, frivolous or vexatious,
(iii) may prejudice, e mbarrass or delay the fair trial of the
action, or
(iv) is otherwise an abuse of process of the Court;
(e) giving such further direc tions as the Court considers
appropriate in the circumstances with respect to the trial of
the action;
(f) varying or setting aside an o rder made under this subsection.
(3) An order, when entered, shall control the subsequent course of
the action unless modified at the trial of the action to prevent
injustice.
(4) The judge who conducts a pre-trial conference in an action
shall not, except where all the parties to the action give their
consent for the judge to do so, conduct the trial of the action.
RSA 2000 c16(Supp) s24;2008 c32 s1