560. At the hearing, the court instructs the parties summarily as to the applicable rules of evidence and the procedure it considers appropriate. At the invitation of the court, the parties state their contentions and produce their witnesses. The court itself examines the parties and the witnesses, and provides fair and impartial assistance to each of them so as to bring out the substantive law and ensure that it is carried out. The court may, on its own initiative, raise the exception resulting from prescription by allowing the parties to respond to it.
The defendant or an intervenor may raise any grounds of defence and, if appropriate, propose terms of payment.
The court may accept an expert’s oral testimony in lieu of an expert report; it may also accept the filing of any document, even though the prescribed filing time has expired.
At the end of the hearing, the court identifies the witnesses to whom indemnities are payable under the tariffs in force.
2014, c. 1, a. 560; I.N. 2016-12-01; 2020, c. 292020, c. 29, s. 47112020, c. 292020, c. 29, s. 4712.