In which situation can the court grant a stay of proceedings instead of a summary dismissal?

The court can grant a stay of proceedings when a case is weak but not obviously defective because this allows the parties additional time to gather more evidence or refine their arguments before making a final judgment on the merits of the case. A stay acknowledges that while the case may not be particularly strong, it does not warrant immediate dismissal; instead, it provides an opportunity for the plaintiff to potentially strengthen their position or for further developments that may affect the case.

In scenarios where all parties agree to a delay or if a plaintiff requests more time, while these circumstances could lead to a stay, they do not inherently justify it on legal grounds related specifically to the merits of the case. Additionally, simply having a significant amount of evidence to review does not directly support the granting of a stay unless it pertains to weaknesses or deficiencies in the case itself. Therefore, the context of a weak case aligns best with the rationale for granting a stay over summary dismissal, focusing on the possibility for improvement rather than outright dismissal.