Introduction
At present, the Civil Procedure Rule Part 25 has two Practice Directions: Practice Direction 25A and Practice Direction 25B. The Civil Procedure Rule Committee confirmed within their most recently approved minutes (attached below) that a new shorter Practice Direction will be introduced.
Agreed key points include:
- Applications and evidence (Rule 25.3) should contain a signpost to Part 23 (general rules applications and court orders) to assist users;
- Under evidence (Rule 25.7) it was noted that the reason why notice was given is a material fact and an obligation already exists, without the need for it to be expressly provided for in the rules;
- There is a need for the supervising solicitor provision under the provision for service, timing and individuals involved (Rule 25.17) is to be redrafted;
- Form numbers should be replaced with “approved form”;
- Other drafting revisions as noted by the Secretariat, to be adopted for further review and resolution, prior to consultation; and
- Remaining provisions within the Practice Directions that are not within the draft reformed rules, could be removed altogether because:
- the reference to out of hours contact details can be done by a signpost and appropriate web information;
- the reference to finding a Supervising Solicitor from the Law Society or London Solicitors Litigation Association can be removed, because it is in relevant Court Guides;
- the statement about privilege is a statement of the law and does not need to be repeated in a Practice Direction in this way; and
- the statement that applications for interim remedies in IP cases ought to go to the Chancery Division does not need to be made here because that is the effect of the relevant rules already.
Post meeting it was confirmed that paragraph 25.1(1)(p) (the reference to continuations subject to guarantees under Article 9 of Directive 2004/48/EC) can be removed because it is unnecessary. It was confirmed that the remedy is available in the courts irrespective of its being listed in that rule in that way and the reference to the Directive is potentially confusing.
There will also be a review of courts forms, specifically the:
- N244 Application notice;
- N16A Application for injunction;
- N361 Notice of application for relief in pending action;
- PF43 Application for security for costs; and
- PF44 Order for security for costs.
Bethany Collings is a Paralegal in the Costs and Litigation Funding Team at Clarion Solicitors. You can contact her at bethany.collings@clarionsolicitors.com or on 07774951949.