Supreme Court Rules 1987

(1) No reply or subsequent pleading merely joining issue shall be served.

(2) At the close of pleadings a joinder of issue on the pleading last served shall be implied.

(3) No joinder of issue, express or implied, shall be made on a statement of claim or counterclaim.

(4) A joinder of issue operates as a denial of every material allegation of fact made in the pleading on which issue is joined unless, in the case of an express joinder of issue, such an allegation is excepted from the joinder and is stated to be admitted, in which case the joinder of issue operates as a denial of every other allegation.