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{\*\generator Microsoft Word 10.0.6612;}{\info{\title IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI (AT SUVA)}{\author Amelia Rasovo}{\operator ehndvaun_d}{\creatim\yr2004\mo8\dy31\hr13\min41}{\revtim\yr2004\mo8\dy31\hr13\min41}{\printim\yr2002\mo7\dy11\hr9\min30}{\version2}
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\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI}{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660\charrsid13201660 
\par }{\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 (AT SUVA)
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 CIVIL ACTION NO. HBC 312 OF 1998S
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Between:
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 BLUE SHIELD (PACIFIC) INSURANCE LIMITED
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Plaintiff
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 and
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 FIJI BANK EMPLOYEES UNION
\par }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Defendant
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par M.B. Patel for the Plaintiff
\par R. Naidu for the Defendant
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 DECISION
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par In June 1998 the Plaintiff issued its writ seeking $16,015.26}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 said to be unpaid due insurance premiums.
\par 
\par In July 1998 the Defendant filed a Defence which simply denied owing the Plaintiff any money.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
There was also a Counterclaim for unspecified damages said to flow from the Plaintiff\rquote s early termination of the insurance cover.
\par 
\par In November 1998 the standard orders were made on a summons for directions.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
In March 1999 the Plaintiff filed its affidavit of documents.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Nothing then happened until February 2001 when the Plainti
ff issued a notice under RHC O34 seeking a pre-trial conference}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 It appears that the conference has not yet taken place.
\par 
\par In July 2001 the Plaintiff filed the present application in which it seeks summary Judgment against the Defendant under the provisions of RHC O14.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 There is an affidavit in support by the Plaintiff\rquote s claims manager Sekope Waqa and an affidavit in answer by Dewan Shankar, the Defendants National Secretary.
\par 
\par As is well understood the purpose of RHC O14 is to enable a plaintiff to obtain summ
ary judgment without trial if he can prove his claim clearly and if the defendant is unable to set up a bona fide defence or raise an issue against the claim which ought to be tried (}{
\fs24\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Roberts v. Plant}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660  (1895) 1 QB 597 CA).
\par 
\par Equally well known is the principle that a party must plead all the material facts upon which he intends to rely at the trial; otherwise that party is not entitled to give evidence of them at the trial (}{
\fs24\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Philipps v. Philipps}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660  (1878) 4 QBD 127, 133).
\par 
\par In }{\fs24\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Chandra Naidu v. Carpenters Fiji Ltd}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660  (
FCA Reps 92/425) the Court of Appeal held that providing a Statement of Defence discloses an arguable defence there is sufficient compliance with RHC O14 r 4 (1) even if no affidavit is filed in opposition to the application (which is, of course, the norm
al method of opposing).
\par 
\par In the present case the situation is reversed.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
There is an affidavit raising defences which cannot, as things stand, be raised at a trial since the Defence filed is a bare denial.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 The counter claim as presently pleaded is obviously unarguable.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 What should the Court do in such a situation?
\par 
\par It will be remembered that while a party may amend its pleadings once with leave before the pleadings are deemed to be closed (see RHC O20 r 3 and O18 r 19) any subsequent amendment must follow leave being granted (O20 r 5).}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
While the granting of leave is not a foregone conclusion leave will however usually be granted if amendment will enable the real questions in controversy between the parties to be determined (}{
\fs24\ul\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 G.L. Baker Ltd v. Medway Building and Supplies Ltd}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660  [1958] 1 WLR 1216; [1958] 3 All ER 540).}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
This being the case I am of the view that I am entitled to look beyond the Statement of Defence to the affidavit in opposition to discover whether the Defendant has disclosed an arguable defence.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Before taking that step however I have to be satisfied that the Plaintiff\rquote s supporting affidavit verifies the facts upon which the Plaintiff\rquote s claim is based (see O14 r 2).
}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 It is at this point, as I see it, that the Plaintiff faces a difficulty.
\par 
\par As has been seen the Plaintiff\rquote s largely unparticularised claim to be owed money by the Defendant was met with a bare denial.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Despite the denial however, Mr. Waqa did not offer any further proof that the amount claimed was indeed owed beyond stating on oath this was the case.}{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
No copies of business records such as statements of accounts or computer print outs were annexed to his affidavit as is the usual practice.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{
\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par 
\par At the hearing of the application both affidavits were read.}{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid13201660  }{\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 Mr. Shankar\rquote s affidavit was difficult to unde
rstand, appeared to be self contradictory in parts and seemed to be plainly at variance with its own disclosed correspondence.
\par 
\par If the Plaintiff\rquote s claim had been supported by some form of corroborating documentary evidence I should have been reluctant to a
llow the Defendant leave to defend but it is my experience in Fiji that calculations by Banks, insurance houses and other businesses are not at all infrequently incorrect.
\par 
\par In all the circumstances the Defendant will be given leave to defend upon payment into court forthwith of $10,000.
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\b\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 M.D. Scott
\par Judge
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid13201660 {\fs24\lang2057\langfe5129\langnp2057\insrsid4800804\charrsid13201660 
\par 12 July 2002
\par }}