Prescription of rules by courts

§ 13–101. Prescription of rules by courts (a) The District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions, and the Juvenile Court of the District of Columbia, respectively, shall prescribe rules to provide for the forms of process, writs, pleadings, motions, and practice and procedure in those courts, to provide for efficient administration of justice. Except as otherwise provided by this section, the rules, in the case of the District of Columbia Court, of Appeals and the civil division of the Court of General Sessions, shall conform as nearly as may be practicable to the forms, practice, and procedure prescribed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and, in the case of the Juvenile Court, the rules shall be enforced and construed beneficially for the remedial purposes embraced in chapter 15 of Title 11 and subchapter I of chapter 23 of Title 16. (b) The judges of the Domestic Relations Branch of the Court of General Sessions, with the approval of the chief judge of the court, shall prescribe, by rules, the forms of process, writs, pleadings, motions, and practice and procedure in that Branch, Except as otherwise specifically provided by the rules prescribed, the applicable rules of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure shall govern in the Branch. (c) The Court of General Sessions shall prescribe rules to provide for a simple, inexpensive, and speedy procedure in thy Small Claims and Conciliation Branch of that court to effectuate the purposes of chapter 39 of Title 16, and may prescribe, modify, and improve the forms to be used therein, from time to time, to insure the proper administration of justice and to accomplish the purposes of chapter 39 of Title 16. (d) Rules adopted pursuant to this section by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Court of General Sessions, and the Domestic Relations Branch of the Court of General Sessions may not abridge, enlarge, or modify the substantive rights of a litigant.