2025 Session
Last amended: 1987 session
§ 480.051 — Regulate Pleading, Practice and Procedure
Plain-Language Summary
The Minnesota Supreme Court has the power to create rules that govern how civil court cases are handled in all Minnesota courts, including probate courts. These rules cover things like filing documents, court procedures, and forms. However, these rules cannot change people's actual legal rights.
480.051 REGULATE PLEADING, PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE.
The supreme court of this state shall have the power to regulate the pleadings, practice, procedure, and the forms thereof in civil actions in all courts of this state, including the probate courts, by rules promulgated by it from time to time. Such rules shall not abridge, enlarge, or modify the substantive rights of any litigant.
History:
1947 c 498 s 1; 1987 c 377 s 5
History: History: 1947 c 498 s 1; 1987 c 377 s 5
Practical Notes
This is the foundation for the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure. The Supreme Court creates these rules, which all lower courts must follow. The key limit is that rules can only affect procedure, not the substance of people’s legal rights.