A judgment in default is triggered when which situation occurs?

• A. The defendant files a late defence.
• B. The defendant serves a defence that disputes the merits.
• C. The defendant fails to serve a defence within the required time.
• D. The claimant withdraws the claim.

Answer: (C)

Judgment in default happens when the defendant does not respond within the time allowed. After a claim is issued, the defendant must file a defence (or take steps like acknowledging service) within a set deadline. If that deadline passes without a defence being served, the claimant can apply for a default judgment, and the court will enter judgment in the claimant’s favour without hearing from the defendant. This is distinct from scenarios where a late defence is still filed, or where a defence on the merits is served, or when the claimant withdraws the claim—the latter ends the process, not producing a default judgment. The key idea is the automatic result of no defence being filed in time.