If served with a statement of claim on June 1st, when is the Statement of Defence due?

To determine the deadline for filing a Statement of Defence after being served with a Statement of Claim, it is essential to refer to the Rules of Civil Procedure in Ontario. According to these rules, a defendant typically has 20 days to file a Statement of Defence if they were served within Ontario.

In this scenario, the Statement of Claim is served on June 1st. When calculating the due date for the Statement of Defence, it is necessary to take into account that the day of service (June 1st) is not counted, and the full 20 days starts from the following day.

Counting the days from June 2nd:

• June 2nd is Day 1

• Continuing this count, Day 20 will fall on June 21st.

This means that the Statement of Defence is due on June 21st, confirming that the correct answer is indeed June 21st. Understanding the calculation of these time periods and the significance of not counting the day of service is vital in civil practice, as it impacts the timelines for responding to claims effectively.