Duhaime's Law Dictionary Certification Definition: A procedural first step in class action litigation in which a court determines if the action at issue is amenable to class action proceedings. Related Terms: Class Action The many authors of Class Actions Law and Practice describe certification as follows: "The certification stage is the first critical step in a class proceeding. It is at this stage that a court will decide whether the matter should be permitted to proceed as a class proceeding. "Certification of a proceeding is a procedural step. The issue at the certification stage is whether the proceeding is appropriately prosecuted as a class proceeding. The certification stage is not intended to be a determination of the merits. The judge, at the certification stage, is asked whether the plaintiff has demonstrated that the action meets the statutory (or common law) requirements for certification from a procedural perspective." REFERENCES: Eizenga, Michael and others, Class Actions Law and Practice, 2nd Ed. (Toronto: LexisNexis, 2013), at page 3-1 Hollick v. City of Toronto, 2001 SCC 68 Rumley v. British Columbia, 2001 SCC 69 Western Canadian Shopping Centres Inc. v. Dutton, 2001 SCC 46 Categories & Topics: Duhaime's Civil Litigation & Evidence Law Dictionary Always looking up definitions? Save time with our search provider (modern browsers only) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Law Dictionary, or if you have suggestion for a legal term, we'd love to hear from you!