How to Fill Out Form 9A (Statement of Defence) in PEI Small Claims

Form 9A is the official Statement of Defence in the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island, Small Claims Section. It is the document that tells the court your side of the story, and filing it on time is the only thing standing between you and a default judgment.

Where to Get the Form

Download Form 9A from the PEI Courts website (courts.pe.ca) under the Forms section. The PDF is fillable if you open it in Adobe Reader on a desktop computer — it may not work properly in a mobile browser.

You also need Form 8A (Designation of Address for Service). Both forms must be filed together.

What Goes on Form 9A

The form has several sections you need to complete:

Court file number — Copy this exactly from the top-right corner of the Statement of Claim (Form 7A) you were served. It is typically formatted as SC-XXXXX or S1-GS-XXXXX.

Party names — List the claimant's name exactly as it appears on Form 7A, then your own legal name. If you were served as a business, use your registered business name.

Your defence — This is the core of the form. For each allegation in the Statement of Claim, state clearly whether you admit it, deny it, or have no knowledge of it. Then set out the facts that support your position.

Keep it factual and specific. Instead of writing "the claimant is wrong," write something like "the claimant hired me to repair the deck railing on June 3, 2026 for $2,400. I completed the work as agreed on June 18. The claimant refused to pay the final $800 balance."

Signature and date — Sign and date the form. Electronic signatures are accepted for electronic filings.

Common Mistakes That Get Forms Rejected

• Filing Form 9A without Form 8A — the registry expects both
• Using the wrong court file number
• Vague statements without facts ("I don't owe this money" with no explanation)
• Missing your signature
• Missing the applicable response deadline: 20 days if served in PEI, 40 days if served elsewhere in Canada or the US, or 60 days if served internationally. Once noted in default, you cannot take further procedural steps without court leave or the claimant's written consent.

Three Ways to File

1. In person — Bring your forms to the Sir Louis Henry Davies Law Courts in Charlottetown (42 Water Street) or the Prince County Court House in Summerside (108 Central Street). Drop them at the registry counter or court drop box.

2. By mail — Send your forms to the Prothonotary's Office. If there is a filing fee (there is none for a basic defence, but counterclaims carry a fee), include a certified cheque or money order payable to the Province of Prince Edward Island.

3. By email — Send your forms as PDF attachments to [email protected] along with a completed Request to File Electronically form. Documents received after 4:00 PM AT are stamped the next business day.

What Happens After You File

Once the registry accepts your Form 9A, the court clerk serves a copy on the claimant by mail or email. You do not need to serve the claimant yourself for the initial defence — the court handles that. Keep the registry's filing endorsement stamp or email confirmation as your proof of timely filing.

After your defence is on file, the court schedules a mandatory settlement conference, generally within 60 days. That conference is your first opportunity to resolve the dispute or narrow the issues before trial.

Need the Full Walkthrough?

The PEI Small Claims Response Guide covers the entire defence process from service verification through the hearing, including deadline calculators, document checklists, and preparation worksheets.

See more Prince Edward Island guides →