Editing Summary judgment (section)

===Canada===
Summary judgment procedures were broadened in Canadian courts in the 1980s. With the exception of [[Quebec]] (which has its own procedural device for disposing of abusive claims summarily), all provinces feature a summary judgment mechanism in their respective rules of civil procedure.<ref>{{cite journal|author= Janet Walker|year= 2012|title= Summary Judgment Has its Day in Court|url= http://queensu.ca/lawjournal/issues/pastissues/Volume37/9-Walker.pdf|journal= [[Queen's Law Journal]]|publisher= [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]]|volume= 37|issue= 2|pages= 693{{endash}}724|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140201230801/http://queensu.ca/lawjournal/issues/pastissues/Volume37/9-Walker.pdf|archive-date= 2014-02-01}}, at 696</ref> [[Ontario]], after a study on the issues of access to justice,<ref>{{cite book |last= Osborne|first= Coulter A.|date= November 2007|title= Civil Justice Reform Project: Summary of Findings & Recommendations|url= http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/cjrp/CJRP-Report_EN.pdf|location= Toronto|publisher= Ministry of the Attorney General (Ontario)|isbn= 978-1-4249-5130-7|pages= 39{{endash}}43}}</ref> reformed its rules in 2010 to extend the powers of motion judges and [[Master (judiciary)|master]]s for ordering summary judgment, following the introduction of similar measures in [[Alberta]] and [[British Columbia]].<ref>{{cite web|author = Craig Ferris|title = British Columbia and Alberta New Rules of Civil Procedure – Initial Impressions|url = http://www.westerncanadabusinesslitigationblog.com/civil-procedure/british-columbia-and-alberta-new-rules-of-civil-procedure---initial-impressions/|publisher = Lawson Lundell LLP|date = 13 February 2011}}</ref>


In 2014, the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] encouraged greater use of the procedure by the courts in its ruling in ''[[Hryniak v. Mauldin]]''. In this case, the Supreme Court of Canada announced a cultural shift, in favor of greater reliance on summary judgment motions to adjudicate disputes, as opposed to reliance on conventional trial.<ref name="Hryniak">{{cite web |title=Hryniak v. Mauldin, 2014 SCC 7 (CanLII), [2014] 1 SCR 87 |url=https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/2014/2014scc7/2014scc7.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQASSHJ5bmlhayB2LiBNYXVsZGluAAAAAAE&resultIndex=1 |website=CanLii |publisher=Supreme Court of Canada |access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> This shift was urged by a desire to increase access to civil justice, by interpreting summary judgment rules broadly, "favoring proportionality and fair access to the affordable, timely and just adjudication of claims".<ref>''Hryniak v. Mauldin'', paras. 2-5</ref>

However, since the decision in ''Hyniak'', a number of court decisions have sought to limit its use in the context of motions for partial summary judgments.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Baywood Homes Partnership v. Haditaghi'', 2014 ONCA 450 |url=https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2014/2014onca450/2014onca450.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQA1QmF5d29vZCBIb21lcyBQYXJ0bmVyc2hpcCB2LiBIYWRpdGFnaGksIDIwMTQgT05DQSA0NTAAAAAAAQ&resultIndex=1 |website=Canlii |publisher=Ontario Court of Appeal |access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Butera v. Chown, Cairns LLP'', 2017 ONCA 783 |url=https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2017/2017onca783/2017onca783.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAqQnV0ZXJhIHYuIENob3duLCBDYWlybnMgTExQLCAyMDE3IE9OQ0EgNzgzAAAAAAE&resultIndex=1 |website=Canlii |publisher=Ontario Court of Appeal |access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Vandenberg v. Wilken'', 2019 ONCA 262 |url=https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2019/2019onca262/2019onca262.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAjVmFuZGVuYmVyZyB2LiBXaWxrZW4sIDIwMTkgT05DQSAyNjIAAAAAAQ&resultIndex=1 |website=Canlii |publisher=Ontario Court of Appeal |access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> In ''Butera<!-- not "Butter" --> v. Chown, Cairns LLP'', the Ontario Court of Appeal reports "the increase in summary judgment motions that have flowed since Hryniak" and that judges "are required to spend time hearing partial summary judgment motions and writing comprehensive reasons on an issue that does not dispose of the action."<ref>''Butera v. Chown, Cairns LLP'', 2017 ONCA 783 at para. 32</ref>