a. Title of these rules. These rules are called the Justice Court Rules of Civil Procedure (“JCRCP”). [ARCP 85]

b. Application of these rules. These rules apply to civil lawsuits in justice courts in Arizona. These rules do not apply to evictions, small claims, civil traffic or civil boating proceedings, or to protective orders or injunctions against harassment in justice courts, except that Rule 140 regarding entry of default judgments applies in small claims cases. [ARCP 1]

c. Interpretation of these rules. Judges and parties should use and interpret these rules so that civil lawsuits are resolved speedily, inexpensively, and fairly. [ARCP 1]

d. Relationship of these rules to the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure. These rules replace the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure (“the superior court rules”). In 2016, the Arizona Supreme Court adopted comprehensive amendments to the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure (“the superior court rules”), which took effect on January 1, 2017 (the “2016 amendments”). All references to the superior court rules in these rules, or in the Appendices, refer to the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure as in effect before the 2016 amendments. Differences in language between a justice court rule and a superior court rule are intended to make the justice court rule simpler and easier to understand. Case law interpreting a superior court rule before the 2016 amendments is authoritative unless a justice court rule expressly adds a requirement or provides a right not found in a superior court rule. The application of case law interpreting a superior court rule as amended in 2016 will depend on the issue addressed. In general, post-2016 case law addressing aspects of a rule that were not substantively changed by the 2016 amendments should continue to be authoritative. For ease of reference, any related superior court rules are shown in brackets at the end of a corresponding subsection of these rules. These cross-references utilize the numbering of the superior court rules as in effect before the 2016 amendments.