Which rule enables the court to order the costs of the application?

• A. The rule must be followed to order costs of the application.
• B. The court cannot order costs of the application.
• C. Costs of the application are always paid by the client.
• D. No provision allows ordering costs of the application.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that there is a specific procedural rule that grants the court the authority to order the costs of an application. This rule provides the legal basis and the framework for any costs decision, so the court must apply it when deciding who pays and how much. Because that power comes from a formal rule, it is the rule that must be invoked in order to make a costs order. If there were no such rule, there would be no legitimate basis for awarding costs.

That’s why this option is the best: it acknowledges the existence of a rule that authorizes the court to order costs. The other statements contradict how procedure actually works: the court can order costs, so saying it cannot is incorrect; costs aren’t necessarily always paid by the client; and there is indeed a provision that allows ordering costs, so saying there’s no provision is false.