Court Rules

I. Indorsement of claim

1. An indorsement of claim shall be made on every originating summons before it is issued.

1A.^{[1] [2] [3]} Where an indorsement of claim on an originating summons concerns a claim which by virtue of Regulation No. 1215/2012, Regulation No. 2201/2003, the 1968 Convention or the Lugano Convention, the Court has power to hear and determine, the following provisions shall apply:

(1) The originating summons shall be endorsed before it is issued with a statement that the Court has the power under Regulation No. 1215/2012, Regulation No. 2201/2003, the 1968 Convention or the Lugano Convention to hear and determine the claim and shall specify the particular provision or provisions of Regulation No. 1215/2012, Regulation No. 2201/2003, the 1968 Convention or the Lugano Convention (as the case may be) under which the Court should assume jurisdiction.

(2) The originating summons shall be endorsed before it is issued with a statement that no proceedings between the parties concerning the same cause of action are pending between the parties in another Member State of the European Union or in a Contracting State of the Lugano Convention.

(3) In matters referred to in Sections 3, 4 or 5 of Regulation No. 1215/2012 where the policyholder, the insured, a beneficiary of the insurance contract, the injured party, the consumer or the employee is the defendant, the originating summons shall be endorsed before it is issued with a statement that: 

(i) the defendant has a right to contest the jurisdiction of the Court and that if he or she wishes to do so, he or she should enter an appearance to contest jurisdiction in accordance with Order 11A, rule 8, and 

(ii) if he or she enters an unconditional appearance, the Court has jurisdiction under Article 26.1 of Regulation No. 1215/2012, and 

(iii) if he or she does not enter an appearance, judgment may be given in default against him or her.

^[4]   [  •  ]

2.^[5] Save in the case of a personal injuries summons as defined in Order 1A, the indorsement of claim on a plenary summons shall be entitled “General Indorsement of Claim” and there shall be an indorsement of the relief claimed and the grounds thereof expressed in general terms in such one of the forms in Appendix B, Part II as shall be applicable to the case, or, if none be found applicable, then such other similarly concise form as the nature of the case may require.  The indorsement of claim on a personal injuries summons shall be as provided by Order 1A.

3. In the indorsement required by rule 2 it shall not be essential to set forth the precise ground of complaint or the precise remedy or relief to which the plaintiff considers himself entitled.

3A.^[6] In the case of proceedings the bringing of which requires to be authorised in accordance with sections 14, 17, 32, 36 or 49, or rules under section 46(3) of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003, the indorsement of claim shall contain a statement

(a) confirming whether or not the proceedings have been authorised by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board,

(b) specifying the section of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 or the rule made under section 46(3) of that Act in accordance with which any such authorisation has been issued, and

(c) citing the date of issue of the authorisation and any reference or record number relating to any such authorisation.

4. The indorsement of claim on a summary summons and on a special summons shall be entitled “SPECIAL INDORSEMENT OF CLAIM,” and shall state specifically and with all necessary particulars the relief claimed and the grounds thereof.  The indorsement of claim on a summary summons or a special summons shall be in such one of the forms in Appendix B, Part III, as shall be applicable to the case, or, if none be found applicable, then such other similarly concise form as the nature of the case may require.

5. (1) Whenever a claim indorsed on a summary summons is for a liquidated sum only, the indorsement, besides stating the amount claimed in respect of the demand, shall state the amount claimed for costs, and shall further state that on payment of such amounts for demand and costs within six days after service, or in the case of a summons not for service within the jurisdiction, within the time limited for appearance, further proceedings will be stayed.

(2)^{[7] [8]} The amount claimed for costs shall be:

(a)  If the demand does not exceed €15,000: Such sum as would be appropriate to a proceeding for a like amount in the District Court.

(b)  If the demand exceeds €15,000 but does not exceed €75,000: Such sum as would be appropriate to a proceeding for a like amount in the Circuit Court.

(c)  If the demand exceeds €75,000: €70 with €7 for each additional service after the first, and the costs of any order for issue and service, or service of the summons or notice in lieu thereof outside the jurisdiction, or for substituted or other service, or for the substitution of notice for service, or for declaring service effected sufficient, or for notice by advertisement of the issue of the summons, and this amount shall be exclusive of and in addition to all actual and necessary outlay.

(3) The statement shall be in the form incorporated in the Form No 2 in Appendix A, Part I.  In any case within this rule the defendant may, notwithstanding payment, have the costs taxed, and if more than one-sixth of the amount paid shall be disallowed the amount disallowed shall be refunded and the plaintiff’s solicitor shall pay the costs of taxation.

6. In any proceeding for the recovery of land the summons shall contain the description of the property sought to be recovered with reasonable certainty, and shall state the county and county district or the city or town and parish, in which the same is situated.  No error or omission in respect of any of the matters aforesaid shall render such summons void or irregular but may be ground for an application to the Court for particulars of the property claimed.

7. In any proceeding for the recovery of land any tenant, under-tenant, or other person in actual possession of the property sought to be recovered, or any part thereof, may be named as defendant, and the summons shall be directed to such tenant, under-tenant, or other person, with the addition of the words “and all persons concerned.”

8. In all actions to which the Land Law (Ireland) Act 1896, section 12, applies, for the recovery of a holding agricultural or pastoral, or partly agricultural and partly pastoral, in its character, or of lands including such a holding, for non-payment of rent, the summons shall be specially indorsed with a statement of the plaintiff’s claim.  Such special indorsement shall state that:

(a)  there is no person in occupation as tenant otherwise than as immediate tenant to the plaintiff of the premises sought to be recovered or any part thereof, and the plaintiff claims to recover clear possession of the same premises, and to have the judgment in the action executed against all persons in occupation of the same; or

(b)  there is or are a person or persons in occupation as tenant or tenants otherwise than as immediate tenant or tenants to the plaintiff of the premises sought to be recovered or some part thereof, setting out the name of every such person.

9. If the plaintiff sues or the defendant is sued in a representative capacity, the indorsement shall show in manner appearing in such of the forms in Appendix B, Part I, as shall be applicable to the case, or by any other statement to the like effect, in what capacity the plaintiff or defendant sues or is sued.

10. In probate actions the indorsement shall show whether the plaintiff claims as creditor, executor, administrator, residuary legatee, legatee, next-of-kin, heir-at-law, devisee, or in any and what other capacity.

11. In all cases in which the plaintiff, in the first instance, desires to have an account taken, the summons shall be indorsed with the claim that such account be taken.

12. In actions by a moneylender or an assignee or by the personal representative or personal representatives of a deceased moneylender for the recovery of money lent by a moneylender or any interest thereon or the enforcement of any agreement or security relating to any such money or interest, the indorsement on the summons shall state, in addition to any other particulars, the fact that the plaintiff is a licensed moneylender, or (in an action by an assignee or by the personal representative or personal representatives of a deceased moneylender) that the original assignor, or the testator or intestate, as the case may be, was at the time of the loan a licensed moneylender, and if the action be commenced by summary summons or special summons, shall also state, in addition to any other particulars:

(a)  the date on which the loan was made;

(b)  the amount actually lent to the borrower;

(c)  the rate per cent. per annum of interest charged;

(d)  the date when the contract for repayment was made;

(e)  the fact that a note or memorandum of the contract was made, and was signed by the borrower;

(f)   the date when a copy of the note or memorandum was delivered or sent to the borrower;

(g)  the amount repaid;

(h)  the amount due but unpaid;

(i)   the date upon which such unpaid sum or sums became due;

(j)   the amount of interest accrued due and unpaid on every such sum.

13. In actions to recover a debt or liquidated demand in money arising under a hire-purchase agreement or credit-sale agreement (as defined by the Hire-Purchase Act 1946) or any contract of guarantee relating to such an agreement, the special indorsement of claim on a summary summons shall state, in addition to any other particulars, that the requirements specified in section 3 or section 4 (as the case may be) of the Hire-Purchase Act 1946, have been complied with.

II. Indorsement of address 

14.^[9] The solicitor of a plaintiff shall indorse upon the summons and notice in lieu of service of a summons, the address and occupation or description of the plaintiff and also his own name or that of his firm and:

(i) the registered place of business where documents may be left for him, and

(ii) where the plaintiff’s solicitor consents to the receipt of such documents by electronic mail, his or her electronic mail address (in lieu of his or her registered place of business) to which documents in the proceedings may be sent in electronic form.

15.^[10] A plaintiff suing in person shall indorse upon the summons and notice in lieu of service of a summons his occupation or description and:

(i) an address for service, where documents may be left for him, and

(ii) where the plaintiff consents to the receipt of documents in the proceedings by electronic mail, his or her electronic mail address (in lieu of an address for service) to which documents may be sent in electronic form.

16. In all cases where proceedings are commenced otherwise than by summons, rules 14 and 15 shall apply to the document by which such proceedings originate as if it were a summons.