Legal Speak Made Easy

“Abuse of Process”

“Abuse of process” is the use of our court system to improperly delay, harass, or obstruct another party. Some examples: repeatedly litigating on the same matter without justification, launching meritless cases for ulterior motives, taking unnecessary legal steps purely to frustrate the other side, or dishonestly using a legal process merely as a tactic to block or delay lawful action by another party.

To deter such behaviour and keep our legal system fair and efficient, courts can impose punitive costs orders or even declare offenders “vexatious litigants”, thereby limiting their ability to launch further proceedings without court permission.