What does Bale v Mills say about submitting further material after a hearing without leave?

• A. The court must consider the submissions.
• B. The court may ignore the submissions.
• C. The submissions become part of the record.
• D. The submissions require immediate re-hearing.

Answer: (B)

The important idea here is that after a hearing the court does not have to treat late material as part of the case. Bale v Mills makes clear that if a party tries to submit further material or arguments after the hearing without getting leave from the court, those submissions may be ignored. The court isn’t obliged to consider them or to treat them as affecting the record or the outcome.

This rule exists to protect the integrity of the process and to keep the decision grounded in material that has been properly before the court. If a party wants to rely on fresh evidence or new submissions, the proper route is to seek leave. If leave is granted, the court can decide whether to admit the material and how to respond; if leave is not granted, the late material simply isn’t considered, and the decision will be made on what was properly before the court at the time or that which was admitted with leave.