Commencing a claim, responding to a claim, progressing a claim Flashcards
The following claims MUST be commenced in the County Court:
*Claims worth £100,000 OR less (except claims regarding media and communications work).
*PI claims worth £50,000 OR less.
Claims falling within the County Court jurisdiction CAN be started in the HC IF there is a reason to believe that they should be heard by a HC judge for reasons such as the following:
*Financial value of the claim AND the amount in dispute.
*Complexity of the facts, legal issues, remedies, OR procedures.
*Importance of the outcome of the claim to the public in general.
Absence of special reasons claims worth less than £100,000 that have been commenced in the HC WILL generally be transferred to?
the County Court UNLESS there is another specific requirements for them to be tried in the HC.
Following claims SHOULD be commenced in the HC (though there is the option to commence them in the County Court):
- Claims worth more than £100,000 OR £50,000 for PI claims, where –
Case has complex facts.
Outcome of the case has a public interest element. - Claim for damages OR for an unspecified sum is started in the HC, the claim force MUST state –
Claimant expects to recover more than £100,000 (or £50,000 OR more if the claim is for PI)
OR
Some enactment provides that the claim CAN only be commenced in the HC and specify that enactment
OR
That the claim is to be in one of the specialist HC lists AND specify that list.
Specialist courts -
The Chancery Division:
Insolvency and companies court.
IP
Enterprise court
Patent court
Specialist courts -
The King’s Bench Division:
Administrative court
Admiralty court
Commercial court
Commercial circuit court
Technology and construction court.
Typical claims -
The Chancery Division:
equity
Trusts
Commercial land
Tax
IP
Land
Business disputes, contentious probate, regulatory work, bankruptcy.
Professional negligence.
Typical claims -
The King’s Bench Division:
JR
Defamation
Breach of contract
Negligence and other tortious conduct
PI
Non-payment of debts.
Breaches of the HRA 1998.
Breaches of statutory duty.
Business and property courts: Umbrella term and user-friendly name for…
a number of the specialist jurisdictions of the HC.
HC, the Business and Property courts encompass the following specialist courts and lists:
*The commercial court (King’s Bench Division).
*The Admiralty Court (KBD)
*Circuit commercial court (KBD).
*Technology and construction court (KBD)
*The financial list (KBD/CD)
*Business list (CD)
*Insolvency and companies list (CD).
*IP list including patents court, and the IP & Enterprise court (CD).
*Property, Trusts, and probate list (CD).
*Competition list (CD).
*Revenue list (CD).
Issuing a claim form:
Claimant MUST file with the court:
Claim form (N1 with court fee).
Particulars of claim (included in form OR attached separately).
Supporting evidence.
Court will seal the claim form,
Allocate a claim number
AND…
claim will be considered formally issued.
Limitation time period stops running.
Claim form is valid for 4 calendar months, in which to serve on defendant.
Adding a party -
Within a limitation period:
Court can order a person to be added if…
Desirable to add the new party so the court can resolve all the matters in dispute
OR
Issue involving the new party and an existing party which is connected to the matters in dispute in the proceedings
AND it is desirable to add the new party so the court can resolve that issue.
No one CAN be added as a claimant UNLESS their consent in writing has been filed at court.
Adding a party -
Outside limitation period:
Court can add a party if…
Relevant limitation period was current when proceedings started
AND the addition is necessary.
Necessary means:
Original party was named by mistake
OR original party has died OR is subject to a bankruptcy order
AND their interest or liability has passed to the new party
OR claim CAN’T be properly carried on without the new party.
Substituting a party -
Within a limitation period:
Court can order a new party to be substituted for an existing one IF…
Existing party’s interest or liability has passed to the new party
OR desirable to substitute the new party so that the court can resolve the matters in dispute in the proceedings.
No one CAN be substituted as a claimant UNLESS their consent in writing has been filed at court.
Substituting a party -
Outside limitation period:
Court can substitute a party IF…
Relevant limitation period was current when proceedings started
AND addition is necessary
Necessary means:
Original party was named by mistake
OR original party has died OR is subject to a bankruptcy order
AND their interest or liability has passed to the new party
OR claim CAN’T be properly carried on without the new party.
Removing a party -
Within limitation period:
Court can order any person to cease to be a party IF
it ISN’T desirable for that person to be party to the proceedings.
Method of service -
Personal service:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Individual?
claim should be left with individual by handing it to them at the usual/last known address.
Method of service -
Personal service:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Partnership?
claim should be left with partner or person who has control or management of the partnership business at the usual/last known residence of the individual OR principal/last known place of business of the partnership.
Method of service -
Personal service:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Company/LLP?
claim should be left with a person holding senior position within the company/LLP at the principal office of the company/LLP or any place of business of the company/LLP within the jurisdiction that has a real connection with the claim.
Method of service -
Leaving the claim form at a specified place:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Individual?
leaving the document at the usual/last known residence.
Method of service -
Leaving the claim form at a specified place:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Individual t/a business?
leaving the document at the usual/last known residence of the individual or principal/last known place of business.
Method of service -
Leaving the claim form at a specified place:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Partnership?
leaving the document at the usual/last known residence of the individual partner OR principal/last known place of business of the partnership.
Method of service -
Leaving the claim form at a specified place:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Company/LLP?
leaving the document at the principal office of the company/LLP OR any place of business of the company/LLP within the jurisdiction that has a real connection with the claim.
Method of service -
1st class post, DX:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Post/DX?
validly served if send by 1st class post OR if leaving the document with or having it collected by the DX service provider to.
Method of service -
1st class post, DX:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Individual?
usual/last known residence.
Method of service -
1st class post, DX:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Individual t/a business?
usual/last known residence of the individual or principal/last known place of business.
Method of service -
1st class post, DX:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Partnership?
usual/last known residence of the individual partner OR principal/last known place of business of the partnership.
Method of service -
1st class post, DX:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Company/LLP?
principal office of the company/LLP or any place of business of the company/LLP within the jurisdiction that has a real connection with the claim.
Method of service -
Fax or other form of electronic communication:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Provided they have confirmed they are willing to accept service by fax/email:
Completing of the transmission of the fax.
Sending the email.
Method of service -
Any other method authorised by the court:
Steps taken & where to service if no solicitor authorised to accept service:
Court can authorise the service by other methods.
Permission ISN’T required to serve a claim form for outside the jurisdiction for proceedings in?
Scotland OR Northern Ireland,
where the English court has jurisdiction.
Within the UK:
MUST be no parallel proceedings elsewhere in the UK AND at least one of the following conditions MUST apply:
Defendant is domiciled in the UK.
English court has exclusive jurisdiction.
Defendant is party to an English jurisdiction agreement.
Not necessary to obtain the court’s permission to serve the claim form outside the jurisdiction where:
Court has power to determine the claim under the Hague Convention
AND the defendant is party to an exclusive jurisdiction clause to which the Hague Convention applies
AND
There is a jurisdiction clause that the English courts have jurisdiction to determine the claim.
Claim DOESN’T fit within the above, court’s permission is required to serve the proceedings out of the jurisdiction.
Enables the court to exercise jurisdiction where the subject matter of the dispute has sufficient connection with?
England by fitting within one of the jurisdictional gateways (key common law gateways).
Permission obtained, service needs to be carried out within?
6 months of being issued in accordance with the procedures and law of the country commenced.
Deemed service of claim form:
Claim form is deemed served on the second business day after the relevant step is taken.
Deemed service of documents other than claim form:
(e.g., particulars of claim if served separately and the defence).
* Personal service, leaving the claim at a specified address, fax, email – if served before 4.30pm on a business day, on that day.
If not, next business day.
* 1st class post or DX – second day after it was posted provided that day is a business day.
If not, on the next business day.
4-month time limit to serve?
claim form.
Particulars of claim CAN be served at same time as claim form OR?
with 14 days after service of the claim form (BUT within the 4-month time limit within which the claim form was issued).
Within 21 days of service of claim form one MUST file?
certificate of service with court.
Where it proves difficult to serve the defendant with the claim form at the place OR by the method stipulated the court can:
Make an order permitting service by a method OR at a place not otherwise permitted where it appears that there is a good reason to do so.
Make an order that steps already taken to bring the claim form to the attention of the defendant by an alternative method, OR at an alternative place is good service.
When served with the particulars of claim, the defendant has three ways to respond included in the response pack (Form N9):
File an acknowledgement of service
File a defence and/or counterclaim.
File an admission.
Defendant has 14 days to respond to the service of particulars of claim not the claim form alone, UNLESS…
the claim form has the particulars of claim attached.
If the defendant ignores the claim, the claimant WILL apply for?
judgment in default.
Specified claims (debt claims) - Admission of whole claim:
Defendant MUST provide – details of income, expenditure, proposal of payment (Form N9A).
Claimant MUST:
Accept proposal OR
Object to proposal, in which case court WILL decide appropriate rate of payment.