s 70 Conversion of pending petitions to writs of summons and originating summonses
70.—(1) Where —(a) under any written law any civil action or application may be commenced in or made to a District Court, a Magistrate’s Court or the registrar (called in this section the Court); and (b) the provisions under any written law by virtue of which such an action or application was required to be commenced or made by way of a petition have been amended such as to require that any such action or application must, as from the date appointed for the coming into operation of the amendment, be commenced or made by way of a writ of summons or an originating summons, then, if any such action or application that has been commenced or made before that date by way of a petition is still pending before the Court on or after that date, the Court may, if it thinks just and expedient, order that the action or application (called in this section a pending action or application) be converted to and be continued as an action or application commenced or made by way of a writ of summons or an originating summons, as is appropriate. (2) The Presiding Judge of the State Courts, with the concurrence of the Chief Justice, may, where the Presiding Judge considers it necessary or expedient to improve efficiency in the administration of justice, by order direct that any class or description of pending actions or applications before the Court be converted to and be continued as actions or applications commenced or made by way of a writ of summons or an originating summons, as is appropriate.[4/2010; 5/2014] (3) Where pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) any pending action or application has been converted to an action or application commenced or made by way of a writ of summons or an originating summons —(a) the action or application is to be continued in accordance with the provisions of the relevant written law and the practice and procedure as are in force and applicable in relation to that action or application at the time of the conversion; and (b) the Court may give to the parties to the action or application such directions as to the conduct and costs of the action or application as it thinks just and expedient for the purpose of facilitating the conversion of the action or application to an action or application commenced or made by way of a writ of summons or an originating summons (as the case may be) and its continuance as such.