WS5 - Case Management Flashcards
Case and Costs Management - Introduction: What happens between completion of statements of case and trial and on hat basis?
- Main task is for parties to prepare and exchange evidence such as relevant documents, witness statements, expert reports, etc.
- Court directs when these various stages should take place by giving directions in accordance with overriding ojective and will actively manage the case to ensure it progresses in accordance with their direction.
Case and Costs Management - Introduction: What is court giving directions and management of case known as?
Case maangement
Case Management Powers and Striking Out: What are relevant CPR?
CPR 3.1-3.5
Case Management Powers and striking out - a) General case management powers of court: What are the powers corut has to manage cases and costs?
CPR 3.1(2):
* Extend/Shorten the time for compliance with any rule, PD or court order
* Adjourn hearings or bring tem forward
* Require party or legal rep to attend court
* Stay the whole or part of proceedings or judgement either generally or until specified event
* Order any party to file and serve costs budget
**Note - Also general provision allow corut to take any step or order for purupose of managing case/furthering overriding objective, so not limited to above. **
Case Management Powers and striking out - a) General case management powers of court: What can court do by own initiative?
- Make an order of own initiative CPR 3.3 which means without either party taking a step, the court could provide new directions or terminate case.
- If court does so, without a hearing or giving parties opportunutiy to make representation, court will include statement in order that parties have right to apply to set aside, stay or vary order within given period and if no period given, within seven days of the date on which order was served on party making applicaion.
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out: What is definition of strike out?
- Deletion of written material from SoC so it cannot be relied on in proceedings by any party.
- Could be an entire statement so case effectively over and is designed to target cases that are inadquately drafted or an abuse of court process.
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out: When will court exercise power to strike out?
CPR 3.4:
* On its own initiative or - If by own initiative, likely to happen around allocation/case maangement stage when court first engages with susbtance of the dispute.
* An application of a party - Any application should be made as soon as possible and preferably before allocation.
Note - Courts uses sparingly and often allow more suitable ways to deal such as amending statement of case
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out: What is difference between strike out and summary judgement?
- Considerable ovelap between the two with applciations often been made for both.
- Strike out usually covers statement of cases so where case does not amount to legally recognisable claim/defence andd summary judgement deals with cases weak on their facts.
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out: What is difference between strike out and default judgement?
- Default judgement is consequence of defendant failing to respond to claim and therfore procedural and does not consider merits of claim.
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out - i) Grounds for Strike out: What are the grounds for strike out?
CPR 3.4(2):
(a) The statement fo cases discloses no reasonable ground for bringing or defending claim.
(b) The statement of case is an abuse of courts process or otherwise likely to bostruct the disposal of proceedings.
(c) There has been a failure to comply with a rule, practice direction or court order.
Look at each in turn below
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out - i) Grounds for Strike out: What is position for no reasonable ground for bringing or defending claim?
- SoC may be struck out if discloses no claim or defence as a matter or law so important a party’s SoC is properly set out.
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out - i) Grounds for Strike out: What is position for abuse of process/lkely to obstruct just disposal of proceedings??
- Abuse of process is misuse or procedure and not defined in CPR, but Lord Binham said it is “using that process for purpose significantly different from ordinary and proper use - AG v Barker
- Obstructing just dispoal includes claims that are vaxatious or obviously ill-founded - 3A PD 1.5
Note - Statement of case which discloses no reasonable ground may also be abuse of process, no divding line between (a) and (b).
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out - i) Grounds for Strike out: What is position for failing to comply with rule, PD or court order?
- This is where the abuse is not in SoC, but the way claim or defence conducted.
- If a fair hearing is still possible despite failure, it is unlikely the court will strike out a SoC on this ground, instead the court more likely to make an order imposing a lesser sanction for non-compliance.
Case Management Powers and striking out - b) Court power to strike out - ii) Judgement:
See 2.2.4 and consider if needs adding
Allocation to Track - Introduction: What is the relevant CPR?
CPR 26
26 PD
Allocation to Track - Introduction: What are the different tracks?
- Small claims track
- Fast Track
- Intermediate track
- Multi-track
Allocation to Track - Introduction: What decides the track?
- Primarily, but not only on the value of the claim.
Note - When assessing the value, court will disregard interest, costs and any amount not in dispute as well as contrib.
Allocation to Track - a) Scope of each track: What is the scope for each?
Allocation to Track - a) Scope of each track: What is the position for small claim track PI claims?
Special rules applying to PI claims, Broadly, small claims track is normal track for PI claim if value is not more than £10,000 and in addition:
* If RTA before 31 May 2021, or claimant is child or protected party, or claimant rdiing motorcycle, the daages are not valued more than £1k
* In relation to other RTA claims, damages for PI not valued more than £5,000
* If any other PI claim (not RTA) damages for PI are value at not more than £1,500
So £10k relates to all heads of less but then the in addition points the PSLA must not be over these values.
Allocation to Track - b) Allocation Process: What is the process from the defence being filed to allocation?
**Note - As per the flowchart, if the court allocates provisionally to fast track, intermediate track or multi track, then they must also file proposed directions - See below where relevant such as for intermediate track and multi CMC’s. **
Allocation to Track - b) Allocation Process - i) Notice of Proposed Allocation: What happens after receipt of defence?
Court office will provisionally decide the track most suitable and then serve on each party notice of propsoed allocation - CPR 26.4(1)
Allocation to Track - b) Allocation Process - i) Notice of Proposed Allocation: What will notice of proposed allocation do?
Indicate track proposed for claim and also require parties to:
* (a) File and serve directions questionaire
* (b) On fast tack, itnermediate or multi-track, file proposed directions and
* (c) For claims under cost management regime, file and serve a cxosts budge and an agreed budget discussion report.
Allocation to Track - b) Allocation Process - ii) Directions Questionaire: What is the purpose of direcitons questionaire?
- To provide information required by court to determien which track case is to be allocate to.
- This is provided by completing Form N180 for small claims and N181 for Fast, itnermediate and Multi which contains number of questions to help decide most appropiate track.
The next flashcards will breakdown each question from the N181
Allocation to Track - b) Allocation Process - ii) Directions Questionaire: What does form N181 request re Pre-action protcol?
- Parties must confirm in DQ if they complied with pre-action protocols.
- If party fails to, it must explain why they have and may be sanctions as a result.