ORDER 14 : CONSOLIDATION OF ACTIONS

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1. When actions are brought by one and the same person against different defendants in respect of the same or substantially the same libel, the Court or a Judge may on the application of two or more of such defendants order that such actions be consolidated so that they be tried together. In a consolidated action under this Rule the damages (if any) shall be assessed in one, sum but shall be apportioned between and against such of the defendants as judgment is given against, and the Court or Judge, if he awards the plaintiff the costs of the action, shall make such order as he deems just for apportionment of such costs between and against such defendants.

2. When two or more actions are pending in the same Court, whether by the same or different plaintiffs against the same or different defendants, and the claims of such actions involve a common question of law or fact of such importance in proportion to the rest of the matters involved in such actions as to render it desirable that the actions should be consolidated, the Court or a Judge may order that they be consolidated.

3. Application for consolidation under the last preceding Rule may be made by a party to any of such actions as are therein mentioned upon notice to the other parties to such actions.

4. Any order under Rule 2 of this Order shall, save for special reasons to be therein stated, direct that the plaintiff or plaintiffs who first commenced proceedings shall have the conduct of the consolidated action.

5. Where at the trial of consolidated action it appears that the claims of the plaintiffs in the actions before consolidation or the defences of the defendants therein, as the case may be, are not conflicting, only one set of costs subsequent to the order for consolidation shall as a general Rule be allowed.