Trial, Appeals and Enforcement of Money Judgments Flashcards
What can a party do if they have concerns about whether a witness is going to attend court to give evidence?
The party can apply for a witness summons
What happens if the court accepts the application for a witness summons?
They will serve the witness with a summons, alongside an offer for the party requiring the witness’s attendance to pay that witness’s expenses to attend court or compensation for loss of working time
What can a witness summons require of a witness?
Require a witness to attend court or to produce documents for the court’s benefit
What happens if a witness summons is served by the court but is not accompanied by an offer to compensate for expenses or lost time?
The summons is invalid
When must a witness summons be served?
At least seven days before the court date
What happens if a witness fails to attend court following a summons?
They could face a fine or even be held in contempt of court, which means that someone has unfairly influenced a court case
When does a party have to complete a pre-trial checklist (listing questionnaire)?
For fast track and multi track trials
When should the pre-trial checklist/listing questionnaire be filed at the court?
Eight weeks prior to trial date
What should the pre-trial checklist/listing questionnaire provide the court with an overview of?
- whether the parties have complied with all of the directions issued by the court
- whether there is a need for any additional last-minute directions
- who will be giving oral, witness and expert evidence
- whether any expert evidence is being relied upon, and if so whether there is more than one expert
- whether the party themselves a solicitor or barrister will be presenting the case at trial
- whether the time estimate for the trial is still accurate
What will a judge do on reviewing pre-trial checklist?
They will decide whether any further directions are necessary or whether the matter requires pre-trial review
What is a pre-trial review?
Specific hearing that takes place around 10 weeks prior to the trial in multi-track trials that are scheduled to take place over a number of days.
Court will check that the parties have complied with all orders and directions, issue a direction for all parties to file a trial bundle and set the trial timetable
What is the trial timetable?
Detailed schedule for a trial that sets out time limits for each party to set out their case and for the examination and cross-examination of witnesses
What is trial bundle?
Indexed and paginated file of documents that contains all documents which are to be referred to by any party at trial.
There is only trial bundle for the case.
What is in the trial bundle?
Should be all documents which every party to proceedings is seeking to rely on.
How are documents within the trial bundle ordered?
They are placed in order of oldest documents first and most recent at the bottom.
Classes of documents are typically separated for ease of reference
Who bears responsibility for preparing the trial bundle?
The claimant
How many copies of the trial bundle are there?
Claimant should prepare enough for all parties, the court and all witnesses
Claimant should make sure all original copies are available to for trial
What should be included in the trial bundle under the CPR?
- the claim form and all statements of case
- an agreed case summary/chronology of key events in the matter/skeleton arguments
- any requests for further information and replies
- any witness statements
- any notices of intention to rely on hearsay evidence
- experts’ reports any responses to questions raised with those experts
- directions orders
- any other necessary documents
When does the trial bundle have to filed with the court?
No earlier than seven days before trial and no later than three days before trial
What stages will happen at a typical civil trial?
- opening speeches
- witnesses will be called
- closing speeches
- judgment
What will happening at the opening speech stage of a trial?
The claimant’s representatives will give a brief speech outlining the facts and outstanding issues in dispute
What will happen at the witness stage of a trial?
Claimant’s witnesses will be called first.
Each witness will be subject to:
- examination in chief (witness statement)
- cross-examination
- re-examination
For examination in chief lawyers will ask open and non-leading questions and leading questions for cross-examination
What happens at the closing speeches stage of a trial?
Each party representatives will sum up their case. Defendant will go first then claimant