DR 4: Case Management and Disclosure Flashcards
What is the main objective of the CPR?
enable court to deal with cases justly and ay proportionate cost
What are the 6 objectives of the CPR?
1) Ensuring parties on =footing
2) Saving expense
3) Dealing in case in ways proportionate to: Amount of money involved, Importance, Complexity, Financial position of parties
4) Ensure dealt with expeditiously and fairly
5) Allot appropriate share of courts resources, taking into acc need to allot resources to other cases
6) Enforcing compliance with rules/practice directions/orders
What must the court give effect to when making procedural decisions ?
overriding objectives of the CPR
Does the CPR place a positive duty on parties to help court further overriding objective?
Yes
What is the effect of the courts duty to actively manage cases imposed by the CPR?
Must tailor approach to individual cases, their role inc:
Encourage parties cooperation
Identify issues early
Decide promptly which issues to fully investigate
Decide order issues to be resolved
Encourage ADR
Help settle
Fix timetables/control progress
Consider if benefits justify cost of steps
Deal with as many aspects on same occasion
Deal with case without parties attending court
Use tech Give directions to ensure trail proceeds quickly/efficiently
Under the duties imposed by the CPR, what must the courts in respect of vulnerable parties/witnesses?
must order appropriate provisions to help parties being on equal footing/can participate fully in proceedings/give best evidence
What are the general steps for allocating a case to a track?
- When defence filed, court provisionally allocate track
- Court serves notice of proposed allocation, requiring parties to serve an completed directions questionnaire by specified date
What is a directions questionnaire used to do?
Confirm track
Assign case to complexity band if needed
Determine directions for case management
If a claim has been provisionally allocated to the multi track, what documents should be prepared alongside a directions questionnaire?
Case summary
Disclosure report
Costs budget & budget discussion report
Draft order for directions
Must the parties cooperate in the completion of the directions questionnaire?
Yes inc for case management directions BUT if impossible, other party shouldn’t delay
Effect of failing to file a directions questionnaire?
Claim for money in CC=court will serve notice requiring compliance within 7d or case/defence struck out
All other cases=court will make such order it considers appropriate
What are the contents of a directions questionnaire?
- Settlement
- Why case needs to be in particular court
- if/why not pre action protocols complied with
- Case management info
- Experts-SJE suitable?
- Name/no of witnesses and points they’ll address
7.Trial- realistic time estimate - Costs-costs budget if legal rep and case likely on multi track
- Other info that’ll assist judge in managing
- Directions-attempt to agree and attach draft order
Contents of directions questionnaire: what should be included in terms of settlement?
Sol confirm explain need to settle, options, costs sanctions
Parties asked if want 1mo stay to attempt to settle
YES-court will stay
NO-party who objects provide reasons
OR-court can stay for any length
Contents of directions questionnaire: what case management info should be provided?
◊ Any apps made to court?
◊ Objections to provisional allocation/reasons
◊ Submissions on appropriate complexity band for fast/intermediate
◊ Scope/extent of disclosure (+proposals on how to deal with electric docs)
Contents of directions questionnaire: what info should be provided on directions?
Attempt to agree and attach draft order
Fast track: normally standard
Intermediate/multi: based on specimen
What cases are allocated to small claims track?
£10,000 or less
What cases are allocated to fast track?
Over £10k to £25k inclusive
What cases are allocated to intermediate track?
Less complex claims over £25k, under £100k
What cases are allocated to multi track?
Most complex, generally over £100k
What is disregarded when calculating amount of claim for allocation to track
Interest
Costs
Contributory Negligence
Any sum not in dispute
What other factors (other than amount) are taken into account when allocating to track
remedy sought
complexity of facts/law/evidence
no. of parties
value of counterclaim
amount of oral evidence
importance to non-parties
views and circumstances of parties
Examples of types of cases normally on small claims track?
Consumer disputes
Disputes about goods ownership
Landlord/tenant (not for possession)
Lower value personal injury (for road traffic cases after 31 May 2021, damages for pain, suffering, loss of amenity mustn’t exceed £5k)
What types of litigants are normally on the small claims track?
litigants in person
What directions are given on the small claims track?
Simple, typically:
◊ Parties delivering copy of all docs they intend to rely on to others
◊ Requiring them to bring original docs to hearing
◊ Parties not allowed to rely on experts report with out permission
How are decisions decided on small claims track?
Hearing informal, if all agree, decision can be made on statement of case/doc not oral evidence
What directions are given on fast track?
Standard directions (may be more limited)
If parties agree on different, must be approved
What expert evidence is normally allowed on fast track
More limited (normally single joint expert unless court think there’s a good reason to)
How long do cases on fast track normally last?
max 1d expected
How are costs awarded on fast track?
fixed basis
What is the typical timetable for a fast track trial?
4w-disclosure
10w-exchange witness statements
14w-exchange experts reports
20w-court sends pre trial checklist
22w-parties file pre trial checklists
30w-hearing (trial)
Can parties agree to vary the timetable on the fast track?
Yes but NOT trial date/date for returning pre-trail checklists
Intermediate track: Max parties
3
Intermediate track: Max experts giving oral evidence on each side?
2
Intermediate track: max anticipated length of trial
3 days
What directions are normally given on intermediate track
Parties agree (likely to be standard directions)
OR court may fix discretionary Case management conference (CMC)
Time limit for parties submitting proposals for directions before CMC?
7 days before
What will a CMC deal with?
Disclosure of docs
Service of witness statements
Expert evidence
Whether to fix pre trial review
Listing for trial
Intermediate track: How long is there normally between giving directions and trial?
20 weeks
How are costs awarded on the intermediate track?
fixed
Intermediate track: how many experts giving oral evidence are there likely to be
1 per party unless 2nd is reasonably required and proportionate
Intermediate track: how long can an expert report be?
20pages (excluding supporting materials)
Intermediate track: how long can a witness statement be?
30 pages
What directions are given on the multi track?
- Standard (+then fix timetable)if adequate
- fix CMC
What is the purpose of a CMC?
To identify the live issues between the parties and set a timetable for trial
Multi track: what is the courts role at a CMC?
Review steps parties already taken
Check compliance with directions
Give directions for future steps
Who must attend a CMC and what are the consequences of not?
If have legal rep: by individual whose familiar with case and has authority to make decisions
If inadequacy leads to adjournment of hearing, court may order that other parties costs incurred in prepping/attending hearing are paid by sol/their firm
Multi track: when/why is a case summary prepped?
often prepared for CMC to assist judge in determining how case should proceed to trial
What documents are needed for the CMC?
Directions questionnaire
Case summary
Disclosure Report
Costs budget
Budget discussion report
Draft order
What orders are made in a CMC?
Directions Order
Costs Management Order