Executive Order 1414

By virtue of the authority vested in me, I hereby establish the following Order for the Canal Zone:

Article I. Section 51 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the Canal Zone is hereby amended to read as follows:

Sec. 51. Pleadings in the District Courts shall be oral, except when they are required by law to be verified by the oath of either of the parties to the suit, in which case the pleadings shall be in writing.

Art. II. Section 62 of the above mentioned Code is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

Sec. 62. Every District Judge shall keep a well bound book styled "Docket," in which he shall enter the name and style of every civil suit brought before him; the dates of issuing process therein and of the return thereof; a brief statement of the nature of the suit and of any plea made thereto by the defendant, and if no appearance is made, the defendant's default shall be noted; the names of the witnesses sworn; the date and the amount of the judgment; the date of issuing execution or other process upon the judgment, and a copy of the returns thereon; the appeal, when and by whom demanded; and briefly all the proceedings before him touching the suit.

Each District Judge, at the beginning of his docket and before any entries are made therein shall make and subscribe the following certificate, substantially, to wit:

"A docket of proceedings in civil matters before .................................

District Judge of the Administrative District of ................................,

Canal Zone.

Witness my signature.

............................   
District Judge."

Art. III. Section 526 of the above mentioned code is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

Sec. 526. Costs shall ordinarily be allowed to the prevailing party as a matter of course, but the court shall have power for special reasons to adjudge that either party shall pay the costs of an action, or that the same be divided as may be equitable; and the court may, for sufficient cause, order that no costs be taxed against either party to any suit or special proceedings.

Art. IV. Sections 63 and 529 of the code of Civil Procedure are hereby repealed.

Art. V. This Order shall take effect 90 days from and after this date.

Wm. H. Taft.

The White House,

September 26, 1911.