WHAT IS A SUMMONS?
A summons to attend court is sent to prospective jurors to ensure that enough people are in court for a jury to be selected and a trial to commence on its listed day. If you receive a summons you are required to attend court on a particular day. Details of when and where to report are on the summons. When you attend court, wherever possible, please bring photo identification and your summons. If you do not have photo identification you may be asked to provide other forms of proof and/or asked to supply information to confirm your identity. You will receive further instructions on the day. To confirm your attendance is not cancelled or delayed, please telephone the “Recorded Information Line” listed on the summons before attending court. Recorded information is available from 5pm the night prior to your attendance date. For attendance on a Monday the message is available on the previous Friday and will remain accessible over the weekend.
The summons is generally drafted by the plaintiff t at the commencement of the lawsuit. This document generally states the name of both plaintiff and defendant, the index number of the case, the court and its address, the contact information of the plaintiff’s attorney, and instructions in filing a response to the complaint within a certain time frame (such as 20 days after service).
