Summary Judgment: Hong Kong Law and Procedure in Transition

Among the most useful procedures available to plaintiffs is the summary judgment procedure in Order 14 of the Rules of the Supreme Court. In an appropriate case, a plaintiff can apply for summary judgment as soon as the statement of claim has been served and notice of intention to defend has been given.1 If the application is successful, the court will give the plaintiff leave to enter judgment against the defendant. The significant benefit to plaintiffs is that they save time and avoid the cost associated with a trial of the action. The benefit to the system is that the time and effort of judges and other court personnel are saved for more deserving cases