HM Courts and Tribunals Service provided a of priority work that firstly MUST be done by the Court and secondly that COULD be done. It is likely that this prioritisation of work will have significant impact upon a number of ongoing Court proceedings but also upon a wide range of applications that have and will be filed at Court.
Civil work in the Court of Appeal is subject to separate guidance and civil work carried out within the Queen’s Bench Division and Business and Property Courts of England and Wales is covered by the High Court Contingency Plan. Business and Property Courts outside of London is being dealt with on a case by case basis and is excluded from the below lists.
Priority 1 – work that must be done
• Committals
• Freezing Orders
• Injunctions (and return days for ex parte injunctions).
• The emphasis must be on those with a real time element (such as post termination employment restrictions), noise or interference with property.
• Anti Social Behaviour/Harassment injunctions (not ancillary to possession)
• Applications to stay enforcement of existing possession orders
• Production of persons in custody following Power of Arrest detentions
• Applications to displace under s 29 of MHA
• Homelessness Applications
• Enforcement work that does not involve bailiffs, such as third party debt orders (particularly hardship payments).
• Any applications in cases listed for trial in the next three months
• Any applications where there is a substantial hearing listed in the next month.
• All Multi Track hearings where parties agree that it is urgent (subject to triage).
• Appeals in all these cases
Priority 2- work that could be done
• Infant and Protected Party approvals (children could attend by Skype)
• CPR 21 approvals
• Applications for interim payments in MT/PI/ Clin Neg
• Stage 3 assessment of damages
• Enforcement of trading contracts
• Applications for summary judgement for a specified sum
• Applications to set aside judgement in default
• Applications for security for costs
• All small claim/fast track trials where parties agree it is urgent (subject to triage)
• Preliminary assessment of costs
If you have any questions relating to this announcement by HM Courts & Tribunals Service, please contact our Dispute Resolution team disputeresolution@afglaw.co.uk or call 01204 377600.