disputes Flashcards
Within what timescale of service must a defence to a Part 20 claim be served, and what is the consequence of failing to do so?
Within 14 days of service of the counterclaim. Failing that, the original defendant can obtain default judgment on the counterclaim.
Where additional claims are brought by the defendant, what must the additional party do where (1) they are already a party to the case, and (2) they are not already a party to the case?
- File a defence, if already a party
- File an acknowledgement and/or defence, if not already a party
Same rules apply to them as the original defendant at the beginning
If a party wishes to make a request for information from the other side, do they need to go through the court for this?
Only if the party does not adequately respond within a reasonable time
If a party objects to a request for information, they should respond providing reasons why
What are five grounds for objecting to a request for information?
- Unnecessary, irrelevant, or improper
- Unable to provide information/clarification
- Insufficient time to reply
- Disproportionately expensive to reply
- Privilege
Something is relevant if it relates to matters which are disputed by the parties
What is required to amend a Statement of Case before it has been served, and after it has been served?
Before: Can be amended at any time without permission
After: Written consent of all parties or court permission required
What must the court be convinced of to add a party to a case?
Adding the party will allow the court to resolve all the matters in the case or resolve a connected matter
What are the two requirements which must be satisfied for a court to grant an application substituting a party?
- Existing party’s interest or liability has passed to the new party (e.g. assignment, merger) and
- Desirable to substitute the new party, so the court can resolve all matters in dispute
What is required to add or substitute a party after the limitation period has expired?
- Relevant limitation period must have been live when proceedings were started, and
- The addition or substitution is necessary
Necessary can come from: new party substituting for a party named in the claim by mistake; or original party has died or is bankrupt
In determining the value of the claim, what four things will the court ignore?
- Sums not in dispute
- Interest
- Costs
- Contributory negligence
To reiterate, what are the thresholds on the small claims track for:
(1) claims generally
(2) road traffic accidents
(3) personal injury if the value of pain, suffering and loss of amenity is below a threshold, and
(4) personal injury generally?
- £10k
- £5k
- £5k
- £1k
When might the court allocate claims with a higher value than the small claims track threshold, to the small claims track?
Parties agree, or less than £10,000 is actually in dispute even if the claim is for more
Unless the other side has behaved unreasonably, what costs can be recovered on the small claims track, and what is the upper limit for expert fees?
Fixed costs and reasonable expenses.
Expert fees limited to £750.
What are the range/threshold on the fast track for:
(1) claims generally
(2) road traffic accidents, and
(3) personal injury generally?
What is the other category of case which can be dealt with on the fast track?
- £10k - 25k
- £5k - 25k
- £1k - 25k
Cases with no monetary value
If a case is allocated to the fast track, within what time limit must the trial take place?
30 weeks
In what two ways is evidence restricted on the fast track?
- Court prefers written rather than oral evidence
- Use of single joint expert is encouraged
Witness statement stands as evidence in chief meaning it has the same weight as if the witness had testified in court
In the fast track, what must costs be in order to be recoverable?
Proportionate to the amount in dispute
Parties must submit cost schedules ahead of the costs hearing
What is the monetary threshold and what is the time threshold for a case to be put in the multi-track?
- Claim exceeds £25k, or
- Lesser value but trial will last more than one day
What is the Directions Questionnaire, and what does it ask?
Within what time limit must the parties complete and return it?
Questionnaire sent by the court with the Notice of Allocation in a fast track or multi-track case, which asks:
* Estimated trial length
* Estimated trial costs
* Whether parties complied with protocols
* Whether experts will be required
* Names of witnesses
28 days of receiving the Notice of Allocation, and cannot be extended
At what stage is a Directions Order made?
Once the case is allocated to the small-claims or fast tracks
(Multi-track directions are usually given at the Case Management Conference)
The schedule for how the case will progress: disclosure, witness statement exchange, expert reports, trial, etc.
What are two notable directions which will be given on the small claims track?
- Documents to be exchanged 14 days before hearing
- No expert may be used without express permission
If a party is not happy with the directions given by the court, within what time limit must they apply for the directions to be varied?
14 days
Make an immediate application to the court for an unless order
When a Case Management Conference is listed on the multi-track, within what time limits before the conference must the parties file:
(1) disclosure reports, and
(2) costs budgets?
- Disclosure report: 14 days
- Cost budget: 7 days
Where a party has defaulted on directions, and the innocent party has made an application to court about this, what is one type of order that the court will typically make which gives the party an opportunity to comply, and what is the impact of this?
The court will make an unless order, which specifies a penalty which will be imposed unless the party complies with the direction
Where a party has defaulted on directions, what are three other options available to the court?
- Impose a costs order, including indemnity costs, or increased interest
- Require the defaulting party to pay money into court
- Debar a party from relying on evidence
Where a party has a good reason for non-compliance and applies for relief from sanctions, what two things will the courts consider?
- Seriousness of the breach, and
- Reasons for the breach
What is an interim application?
How soon should they be made?
Any pre-trial application made to the court which requires a judicial decision
As soon as it is apparent that it is necessary or desirable
What is true of an interim application if there is already another hearing listed in the matter?
It should be raised at that hearing, if possible
Unless there is good reason why notice should not be required, what notice of an interim application must be given to parties
(1) generally, and
(2) if over the telephone?
What is an example of a good reason?
- Three clear days
- Five clear days
Notice would provide the other party an opportunity to dispose of evidence or assets
It would be extremely unusual to not give notice of an interim application, except for which two types of orders?
Where an interim application is made without notice, what must it include?
- Freezing injunction
- Search order
Evidence explaining the good reason
What three things must be served on the non-applicant party if an order is granted based on a without-notice application?
- The order
- Application notice
- Supporting evidence
If an order is granted based on a without-notice application, within what time limit of being served must the non-applicant party apply to vary or set aside the order?
7 days
If a party makes an interim application without notice erroneously, what type of order will the court dismiss it with, and what is the effect of this?
A wasted costs order, which requires the solicitor to pay the other side’s costs to the extent associated with the application
What should be true of evidence relied on in support of an interim injunction?
It should be in writing and filed at court within the relevant time limit
What two things does the applicant have to file and serve on the court within 2 days of the hearing on the interim application?
- Case summary
- Proposed draft order
What is the difference between default judgment and summary judgment?
Default judgment: Defendant has failed to acknowledge service or file a defence on time, not related to strength of defence
Summary judgment: Other party has weak case and there’s no other reason to have the trial
What are the two criteria which the applicant must satisfy when applying for summary judgment?
Before when can the claimant not make an application for summary judgment?
- Other party has no reasonable prospect of success, either their claim or defence, and
- No other compelling reason why the case should proceed
Before defendant receives particulars and serves either an acknowledgement or defence, i.e. claim must be live from defendant’s point of view
In an application for summary judgment, what are the three time periods before the hearing before which:
(1) Applicant must serve written evidence in support of the application on the other party
(2) Other party must serve evidence in response, and
(3) Applicant must serve any further evidence in response to (2)?
- 14 days
- 7 days
- 3 days
Same for interim payments
What is the difference between an application to strike and summary judgment?
Application to strike: goes to procedure
Summary judgment: goes to merits
What are three things for which the court will grant an application to strike?
- Statement of case discloses no reasonable grounds for bringing/defending claim
- Statement of case is an abuse of court process
- Failure to comply with a rule, practice direction, or order
What are the three conditions, one of which is required for an order of interim payment to be made?
Are interim payments mandatory or discretionary?
- Defendant has admitted liability
- Claimant has obtained judgment but the sum to be paid is not yet assessed; or
- The court is satisfied that if the action proceeded to trial, the claimant would obtain judgment for a substantial sum (and in cases with multiple defendants, from at least one of them and each carries insurance)
Discretionary, and the court will not grant one if it would cause an injustice
Before making an application for interim payment, what should the applicant do?
Before when can the claimant not make an application for interim payment?
Request that the defendant make a payment voluntarily
Before defendant receives particulars and serves either an acknowledgement or defence, i.e. claim must be live from defendant’s point of view
In an application for interim payment, what three things must the claimant’s written evidence contain?
Does claimant need to demonstrate need?
What additional thing should be included in a personal injury claim?
- Sum of money sought
- Items and matters in respect of which payment is sought
- An estimate of the final judgment
No
Medical records should be attached to estimate of judgment; and a schedule of loss with details of past and future loss
In considering an application for interim payment, will the court consider contributory negligence, set off, counterclaims?
Yes
What is an injunction?
What are the two types?
When is an injunction considered interim, and when is it considered final?
A court order that requires a party to do or stop doing something.
Mandatory and prohibitory
Interim if made before trial; final if at trial
In the context of an injunction application, what is an undertaking in damages?
An undertaking by the person making the application that they will compensate the other party for any loss suffered if the court later determines that the injunction should not have been granted
How can a party apply to have the injunction discharged?
By applying on notice to a judge of the division where the claim is proceeding
What are the three grounds that can be argued in support of an application to discharge an injunction?
- Applicant did not disclose all information when applying, or did not comply with its terms, or failed to prosecute claim with speed
- Relief is oppressive, or not justified
- Material change in circumstances
What is a freezing injunction?
To whom must an application for one be made?
A type of prohibitory injunction designed to freeze the assets of the defendant
A High Court judge only
What are the three requirements of which a court must be satisfied before granting a freezing injunction?
- Strong case on the merits
- Defendant has assets within the jurisdiction
- Real risk the defendant may dispose of or dissipate those assets before judgment can be enforced
What two things must be true of a freezing injunction?
When will a freezing injunction bind third parties?
- The assets frozen should not exceed the maximum amount of the claim, and
- The order must state the period of time it will be in effect
When they have knowledge of it
What must a defendant offer in order to apply for discharge of a freezing injunction?
Security for the value of the claim
What is a search order?
To whom must an application for one be made?
A last resort order applied for without notice by the applicant if it is clear the defendant will not obey the rules relating to disclosure, or may seek to destroy evidence, which allows the claimant to search for and potentially seize this evidence
A High Court judge only; same as freezing injunction
What are the three requirements of which a court must be satisfied before granting a search order?
- Strong case on the merits
- Defendant’s activities cause very serious potential or actual harm to the claimant’s interest, and
- Clear evidence that the property and documents are in the defendant’s possession and there is a real possibility the material may be destroyed
What three things will the independent supervising solicitor who oversees execution of a search order undertake to do?
- Offer to explain the meaning and effect of the order to the defendant
- Inform the defendant of their right to seek legal advice and right to apply to vary or discharge the order, and
- Prepare a written report on execution and provide it to the claimant’s solicitor and the court
In the context of a search order, what three things will the claimant’s solicitor undertake to do?
- Return original documents to the defendant within two days
- Deliver property in dispute to defendant’s solicitors, and
- Retain all other property securely until the court directs otherwise
What does disclosure mean?
For how long does the duty to disclose run and when does it terminate?
Clearly identify and inform the other side of the existence of a relevant document
Continues through the whole case and concludes when the case is over
What two types of documents must be disclosed?
What must a solicitor do if the client makes it clear they will not comply with the disclosure requirements?
Documents which:
1. Support your case
2. Are adverse to your case
Cease to act
How far does the obligation to disclose go?
Does a party need to have possession?
A party’s obligation to disclose extends to any document within the party’s control
No, a right to control is sufficient
What three criteria, one of which is enough, will determine if a party has control of a document?
- Physical possession
- Right to take possession, inspect or take copies, or
- Had the document in their possession but no longer
What is the obligation when a document is unavailable or has been destroyed?
Can the court draw an adverse inference from this?
Notify the court and other party of its existence, and provide reasons
Yes
What is standard that the court will expect a search for documents to meet?
The search must be reasonable and proportionate, depending on the nature of the case, its value, and its importance