N.H. R. Sup. Ct. 11

As amended through September 26, 2024
Rule 11 - Petition for Original Jurisdiction
(1) Petitions requesting this court to exercise its original jurisdiction shall be granted only when there are special and important reasons for doing so. The following, while neither controlling nor fully measuring the court's discretion, indicate the character of the reasons that will be considered: When a trial court or administrative agency has decided a question of substance not theretofore determined by this court; or has decided it in a way probably not in accord with applicable decisions of this court; or has so far departed from the accepted or usual course of judicial or administrative agency proceedings as to call for an exercise of this court's power of supervision.
(2) A petition shall, as far as possible, contain in the order stated:
(a) A copy of the decision sought to be reviewed, if there is such a decision. The decision shall be annexed or appended to the petition;
(b) The questions presented for review, expressed in the terms and circumstances of the case, but without unnecessary detail. The statement of a question presented will be deemed to include every subsidiary question fairly comprised therein. Only the questions set forth in the petition or fairly comprised therein will be considered by the court;
(c) The provisions of the constitutions, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations involved in the case, setting them out verbatim, and giving their citation. If the provisions to be set out verbatim are lengthy, their citation alone will suffice at that point, and their pertinent text shall be annexed or appended to the petition. If any documents are annexed or appended to the petition, then the petition shall contain a table of contents. If the provisions aggregate more than 5 pages, their text may be filed as a separate appendix, including a table of contents referring to numbered pages;
(d) The provisions of insurance policies, contracts, or other documents involved in the case, setting them out verbatim. If the provisions to be set out verbatim are lengthy, their pertinent text shall be annexed or appended to the petition. If any documents are annexed or appended to the petition, then the petition shall contain a table of contents. If the provisions aggregate more than 5 pages, their text may be filed as a separate appendix, including a table of contents referring to numbered pages;
(e) A concise statement of the case containing the facts material to the consideration of the questions presented, with appropriate references to the appendix, if any;
(f) A concise statement specifying the stage of the proceedings in the trial court or administrative agency at which the questions sought to be reviewed were raised, the manner in which they were raised, and the way in which they were passed upon by the trial court or administrative agency;
(g) A direct and concise argument amplifying the reasons relied upon for petitioning this court to exercise its original jurisdiction (see section 1 above) and setting forth why the relief sought is not available in any other court or cannot be had through other processes;
(h) The jurisdictional basis for the petition, citing the relevant statutes or cases;
(i) A statement, if applicable, that every issue specifically raised has been presented to the trial court or administrative agency and has been properly preserved for appellate review by a contemporaneous objection or, where appropriate, by a properly filed pleading;
(j) A list of all parties of record and their counsel, the addresses of all parties and counsel, and the New Hampshire Bar identification numbers of counsel for the moving party;
(k) A statement as to whether a transcript of any proceedings will be necessary if the petition is accepted for further review by the court. If a transcript will be necessary if the petition is accepted, then the petition shall also contain a Transcript Order Form. (The Transcript Order Form appears as part of the two Notice of Appeal Forms that may be found in the appendix to these rules.)

All argument in support of the petition shall be set forth in the body of the petition. No separate brief in support of the petition shall be filed, and the court shall not consider any supporting brief.

(3) The failure of a petition to present with accuracy, brevity and clearness whatever is essential to a ready and adequate understanding of the points requiring consideration will be a sufficient reason for denying the petition.
(4) If several cases involve identical or closely related questions, a single petition covering all the cases shall suffice.
(5) The petition shall be filed with the clerk of this court, accompanied by the filing fee. If the action is against the State, the petition must be served on the attorney general. Notice by serving, delivering or mailing a copy of the petition upon all parties or opponents below as well as the court or agency involved is the responsibility of the moving party, and a certificate of compliance stating their names and addresses must be filed with the petition.
(6) If the supreme court is of the opinion that the petition should not be granted, it shall deny the petition. The supreme court may, in its discretion, accept and schedule for briefing, with or without oral argument, any question presented in the petition.

The supreme court may order that an answer to the petition be filed within the time fixed by the order. Two or more parties may answer jointly. Persons named as parties but having no interest in the outcome of the petition shall notify the clerk of the supreme court in writing that they have no interest in the proceedings and in the outcome.

N.H. R. Sup. Ct. 11

Amended effective 1/1/2020; amended effective 1/1/2020.