9. If I do not mind affording time and money at all, can I start a civil action just to make trouble for the defendant, even though my case is weak?
It should be strongly discouraged.
First, the Court has the power to make a restricted proceedings order (“RPO”) to prohibit a litigant from commencing any fresh proceedings on matters which have already been determined by the Court, if the litigant has abused, and is likely to continue abusing, the Court’s process by seeking persistently to re-litigate it in fresh proceedings without viable legal grounds.
In a more serious situation, if a person has habitually, persistently and without any reasonable ground instituted vexatious legal proceedings (even though not on the same subject matter), the Court can even make an Order restraining him or her from instituting any legal proceedings under section 27 of the High Court Ordinance (Cap. 4).
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