Code of Organization and Civil Procedure (Cap. 12), article 173

173. (1) The court may, in order to ensure full compliance with all matters of procedure, o r to seek more detailed informa tion, or to expedite or facilitate p roceedings or to avoid the unnece ssary appearance of parties or witnesses, give in camera all such orders and directives it may think fit, and it shall be sufficient tha t such orders or directives be communicat ed by the registrar even by l etter to the advocates or legal procurators of the parties, which let ter is to be handed personally to such advocate or legal procurator, a nd, by post, to the parties themselves. This provision shall apply to any stage of the proceedings before ju dgment is delivered. An appea l from such orders or directives, where admissible, may be entere d only after the definitive judgmen t and together with an appeal from such judgment, and such orders or directives may not be challen ged before the definitive judgment is delivered. (2) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this articl e the court may, at any st age of the proceedings - (a) either on its own motion or on an application by any party to the proceedings, di rect that the evidence of any person intended to be produced as a witness be taken before a judicial assistant at such place and time under such conditions as may be specified in the order; (b) on an application by any party to the proceedings, desiring to confirm a fact stated in the application, or in a note accompanying it, by the affidavit of a person named by the party, order the person so named to appear for that purpose before a judicial assistant at such place and time as may be specified in the order; Cap. 474. (c) either on its own motion or on a note filed by any party to the proceedings, direct that proceedings be stayed for such period as it considers appropriate, and refer the parties to a mediator in accordance with the Mediation Act. (3) In the case of an order given under sub-article (2)( b), the judicial assistant shall ask the person named whether he confir ms or denies each fact specified in the application or note and sh all make a record of the replies given together with any other statement, if any, qualifying his reply, and cause such record to be confirmed on oath by the person aforesaid. The judicial assista nt shall insert the affidavit in the records of the case and cause a copy thereof to be serv ed on the parties. (4) When an application as in referred to in sub-article (2)( b) is 56 CAP. 12.] CODE OF ORGANIZATION AND CIVIL PROCEDURE filed together with any written pleading referred to in article 160, the Court may direct that the se rvice of such written pleading shall be suspended for such period, not exceeding three months, as th e court may determine. Title IV PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO WRITTEN PLEADINGS AND OTHER ACTS OF PROCEDURE Contents of written pleadings. Amended by: XV .1913.58; XXXI.1934.30; XXIII.1971.13; XXVII.1979.12; VIII.1990.3,4; XXIV .1995.84; XXXI.2002.59; XXII.2005.31; L.N. 426 of 2012.