Section 9-3.Joinder of Parties and Actions; Interested Persons as Plaintiffs

Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026

In one sentenceAnyone with an interest in the subject matter of a lawsuit and in the judgment sought may join as a plaintiff, and a person who should join but refuses can instead be named a defendant.

Full Text of Section 9-3

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All persons having an interest in the subject of the action, and in obtaining the judgment demanded, may be joined as plaintiffs, except as otherwise expressly provided; and, if one who ought to be joined as plaintiff declines to join, such person may be made a defendant, the reason therefor being stated in the complaint. (See General Statutes § 52-101 and annotations.)

End

Amendment History

(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 83.)

Plain-English Summary

Section 9-3 sets the basic rule for who may join a lawsuit as a plaintiff: all persons who have an interest in the action’s subject and in obtaining the judgment sought may be joined together, unless a rule expressly says otherwise. If someone who ought to be a plaintiff refuses to join the case, that person can instead be made a defendant, but the complaint must state the reason for doing so.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join a lawsuit as a plaintiff in Connecticut?

Anyone with an interest in the subject of the action and in obtaining the judgment demanded may be joined as a plaintiff, unless another rule expressly limits this.

What happens if a necessary plaintiff refuses to join?

That person may be made a defendant instead, but the complaint must state the reason why.

How does this section relate to Sections 9-4 and 9-6?

Section 9-4 elaborates on joining multiple plaintiffs in one action, while Section 9-6 addresses the parallel situation of joining interested persons as defendants.

Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 9-3). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. · Official source

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