Victorian Current Acts Victorian Current Acts(1) A court may make any order or give any directions in relation to discovery that it considers necessary or appropriate.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), a court may make any order or give any directions—
(a) requiring a party to make discovery to another party of—
(i) any documents within a class or classes specified in the order; or
(ii) one or more samples of documents within a class or classes, selected in any manner which the court specifies in the order;
(b) relieving a party from the obligation to provide discovery;
(c) limiting the obligation of discovery to—
(i) a class or classes of documents specified in the order; or
S. 55(2)(c)(ii) amended by No. 25/2014 s. 6(1)(a).
(ii) documents relating to one or more specified facts or issues in dispute; or
S. 55(2)(c)(iii) inserted by No. 25/2014 s. 6(1)(b).
(iii) some or all of the issues set out in a statement of issues filed in the proceeding;
(d) that discovery occur in separate stages;
(e) requiring discovery of specified classes of documents prior to the close of pleadings;
(f) expanding a party's obligation to provide discovery;
(g) requiring a list of documents be indexed or arranged in a particular way;
(h) requiring discovery or inspection of documents to be provided by a specific time;
(i) as to which parties are to be provided with inspection of documents by another party;
(j) relieving a party of the obligation to provide an affidavit of documents;
(k) modifying or regulating discovery of documents in any other way the court thinks fit.
(3) A court may make any order or give any directions requiring a party discovering documents to—
(a) provide facilities for the inspection and copying of the documents, including copying and computerised facilities;
(b) make available a person who is able to—
(i) explain the way the documents are arranged; and
(ii) help locate and identify particular documents or classes of documents.
S. 55(4) inserted by No. 25/2014 s. 6(2).
(4) A court may order or direct a party to pay to another party an amount specified or determined by, or in accordance with, the order or direction in relation to the costs of discovery in any manner considered appropriate by the court, including, but not limited to, payment in advance of an amount to the other party for some or all of the estimated costs of discovery.
S. 55(5) inserted by No. 25/2014 s. 6(2).
(5) Without limiting any other power of a court to make costs orders, a court may order or direct that costs payable under an order or a direction under subsection (4) are recoverable as costs in the proceeding.
S. 55A inserted by No. 25/2014 s. 7.