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  Chancery Business at Central London Civil Justice Centre
   
   Introduction
   
   Since 1989 it has been the practice of the Chancery Division in London to transfer cases which are suitable for trial in the County Court to a designated London County Court where sitting arrangements could be made to guarantee trial by a judge of Chancery experience. From 1st April 1996 the designated County Court has been the Central London County Court, now the Central London Civil Justice Centre ("CLCJC").
   Following the introduction of the Civil Procedure Rules, it has become the practice to transfer an increasing number of Chancery cases to CLCJC.
   In recognition of the increasing amount of Chancery work taking place at the CLCJC a specialist Chancery Senior Circuit Judge was appointed to the court in May 2006.
   
1.  The Chancery List at Central London
1.1   The business of the Chancery List at Central London Civil Justice Centre now comprises business from three sources:
  
(i)   cases transferred from the Chancery Division of the High Court;
(ii)   cases transferred from other county courts on the South Eastern Circuit, (on the grounds of complexity, or because the length of the trial is estimated to exceed two days);
(iii)   claims issued in the Central London County Court itself.
1.2   All business of the Chancery List at CLCJC is identified by a unique case number starting "CHY".
1.3   A list of the kinds of case which are suitable for the Chancery List at CLCJC appears at annex A. It should be noted that since 2001 the court has had original jurisdiction in contentious probate matters pursuant to CPR Part 57.2. The scope and extent of the court's original jurisdiction in matters relating to companies, as described in the list, should also be noted. (Companies matters in respect of which the Court has no original jurisdiction may still, in appropriate cases, be transferred to from the High Court (Companies Court) to CLCJC to be heard there by the Specialist Chancery Judge under Section 9 of the Supreme Court Act 1981Acts.)
1.4   Claims may be issued in the Chancery List at CLCJC if the Claimant thinks it appropriate. The claim form must be clearly marked “Chancery Business”. If it later appears that the case is unsuitable for the Chancery List it will be transferred back to the ordinary list by a judge.
1.5   Otherwise, cases from the above sources may be identified as suitable for the Chancery List at any stage. At this point they will be transferred into the Chancery List, with the approval of a Chancery Judge and allocated a “CHY” number.
2.   The Court House
2.1   The Central London Civil Justice Centre is located in two buildings on Park Crescent, London W1.
2.2   The trial centre is located at 26 Park Crescent London W1B 4HT, towards the western end of Park Crescent, nearest to the London Clinic and Harley Street. Trials and applications before Circuit Judges are held here.
2.3   The main court offices and the District Judges’ Chambers are based near the middle of the Crescent, on the eastern side, at 13-14 Park Crescent. London W1B 1HT. Applications and hearings before District Judges may be heard either here, or at 26 Park Crescent (see Paragraph 3.4 below).
2.4   The nearest Underground stations are Regents Park (on the Bakerloo Line1.) and Great Portland Street (on the Metropolitan, Hammersmith and City, and Circle Lines).
  
   1. Note that Regent's Park Underground Station is closed for refurbishment until July 2007. The nearest Bakerloo Line Stations are therefore Oxford Street or Baker Street, or alternatively Warren Street on the Northern Line.
3.   The Judiciary
3.1   The Senior Chancery Circuit Judge is Her Honour Judge Hazel Marshall QC, who is also authorised in respect of High Court business under s 9 of the Supreme Court Act 1981Acts. Any communications for her attention should be addressed to:
  
   Mr P. Fernandes
Clerk to the Senior Chancery Judge
E-Mail: Pio.Fernandes@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk.
3.2   The other Circuit Judges of the Chancery List (as at January 2007) are Judge Peter Cowell, Judge Dennis Levy QC, and Judge Robert Wakefield.
3.3   In addition there is a panel of Recorders drawn from the Chancery Bar and approved by the Chancellor. The Recorders are asked to sit from time to time if the Chancery Circuit Judges are not available, or to relieve pressure on the list. References in this guide to a "Circuit Judge" include a Recorder unless the context suggests otherwise.
3.4   There are two designated specialist Chancery District Judges: District Judge Margaret Langley and District Judge Barry Lightman. They are based at 13-14 Park Crescent. They normally deal with Chancery applications and case management in the District Judges’ Chancery List, which is heard on Fridays at 26 Park Crescent. However, in exceptional circumstances hearings may take place at other times and at 13-14 Park Crescent, and litigants should always check the location on the court hearing list. Appointments before Chancery District Judges are made through the Chancery Section in the same way as appointments before Chancery Circuit Judges.
3.5   It is the policy of the court to ensure that all Chancery List matters are dealt with by a judge of suitable experience. Although not Chancery specialists, a number of the Resident Judges at the court have considerable experience in some Chancery areas (e.g. landlord and tenant matters). If, at case management, the Senior Chancery Judge considers that because of its nature, a particular case could be efficiently heard by any such other Resident Judge, the case will be so marked, and may subsequently be listed before either a Chancery Judge or any other Judge so nominated.
3.6   A party who considers it appropriate, on the grounds of the particular nature, importance of value of the case, may apply to the Senior Chancery Judge for the case to be reserved to her list.
4.   The Chancery Section and communicating with the Court.
4.1   The Chancery List is administered by the Chancery and Specialist Section. Their offices are on the fourth floor at 26 Park Crescent. Queries and applications can be presented in person at the reception desk on the fourth floor, so long as they do not involve the payment of fees.
4.2   All enquiries and correspondence concerned with the Chancery List should be addressed by post to
  
   The Chancery Section
Central London Civil Justice Centre
26 Park Crescent
London W1B 4HT
   or through the DX system to
  
   DX 97325 Regents Park 2
4.3   The following numbers are dedicated numbers for use of the Chancery List business:
  
   Tel: 020 7917 7821
Fax: 08703 305 717 020 7917 7889 E-mail: chance.clerk@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk
   These contact details go directly to Chancery Section personnel. Chancery List communications should not be sent to any other numbers.
4.4   The Chancery Section Manager is Ms Kathlyn Antoine.
   Communications should be addressed to the Chancery Section Manager, at the above address.
4.5   For administrative reasons, all post to CLCJC is received at 13-14 Park Crescent. After sorting, Chancery List post is transferred to the Chancery Section Office at 26 Park Crescent, on the same day.
4.6   All applications requiring a fee to be paid must also be initiated at 13-14 Park Crescent, whether made by post or in person. After fee processing, Chancery applications are then transferred to the Chancery Section Office, either on the same day, or the following morning, if they are received in the afternoon.
4.7   To assist Chancery Section staff to deal correctly and quickly with letters and applications, it is important that the name of the case, its "CHY" number and the date of the next fixed hearing is stated prominently on the first page of the letter or application. If the matter is regarded as urgent this may also be stated: see further Paragraph 5.4 below.
4.8   Communications may be made to, and short documents (12 pages maximum and not involving payment of fees) may be filed with, the Chancery Section by email to the email address given above. The subject line must include the CHY number, the parties’ names (abbreviated if necessary), the nature of the document, and the date and time of any forthcoming hearing (see also general guidance in CPR PD 5B supplemental to Rule 5.5).
4.9   Faxed documents for any Chancery case hearings taking place at 26 Park Crescent must be faxed to 08703 305717 to ensure that they reach the Judges'€™ hearing rooms in time.
   Faxed Documents for hearing at 13/14 Park crescent must be faxed to 0207 917 5014.
   It is likely that your document will not reach the Judge in time if faxed to the wrong number.
5.   Applications
   Normal business
5.1   Chancery applications before Circuit Judges are normally heard with case management business, which is listed every Friday. Appointments are given either for the morning at 10 o'clock or for the afternoon at 2 o'clock and matters are dealt with in a convenient order, according to urgency and time estimate. In exceptional cases of urgency (for example an urgent injunction) an appointment may be given for another day and time.
5.2   An application in a CHY case should be made by leaving or posting copies of the application notice (one more than the number of parties involved), and the required fee, at or to the court office at 13-14 Park Crescent for issue. After issue, the application will be delivered to the Chancery Section, either on the same day or the following morning, and will be dealt with as follows (subject to Paragraphs 5.4 and 5.5) below:
5.2.1   Where a hearing is requested, the Chancery Section clerk will list it for hearing before a judge of the appropriate level (Circuit or District) on the first convenient Friday at least two weeks after the day when the application is processed. The court will notify the parties of the date and time of the appointment.
5.2.2   Where the applicant requests that the application be dealt with without a hearing, the application notice will be placed before a judge of the appropriate level. If the judge is of the view that a hearing is required, he or she will direct a hearing within an appropriate timescale. The Chancery Section clerk will then list the matter and notify the parties of the date and time.
5.2.3   If the judge deals with the matter on paper, he or she will make such order as is considered appropriate in the circumstances. This will not necessarily be the order requested in the application. The court will then notify the parties of the application and of the order which has been made. Any such order will always contain a provision that any party may apply to the court, as provided in the order, to have the order set aside or varied.
5.3   The Chancery Section will endeavour to deal with Chancery application notices as set out above, within five working days of their receipt.
   Urgent business
   Certified urgent business
5.4   Any party making an application which it considers urgent may certify it “Urgent” and give brief reasons in a covering letter. The Chancery Section clerk will then give the application such priority as it appears to warrant, and is likely to put it before a Circuit Judge for directions. Parties should note that any abuse of the “urgent” certification may have the result that costs will be disallowed.
   Applications within one month of trial
5.5   Any application received by the Chancery Section within one month before the date fixed for trial will automatically be treated as urgent business. Regardless of the nature of the application or the level of judge which may be suggested by the applicant, the application will be placed immediately before a Circuit Judge for directions. The Judge will then make such order as is considered appropriate to the circumstances.
   Voluntary expedited procedure
5.6   Any party wishing to obtain an early appointment for the hearing of an application may use the following procedure.
5.6.1   The application and fee must be taken in person to the court office at 13-14 Park Crescent for immediate issue, wait whilst the issue is processed and receive back the issued application notice and copies.
5.6.2   The issued application notice should then be taken in person to the Chancery Section office on the fourth floor office of 26 Park Crescent.
5.6.3   The Chancery Section clerk will then list the application for hearing whilst the applicant waits, and will list it for hearing on the immediately following Friday if requested by the applicant. Such applications will be listed before a Circuit Judge.
5.6.4   The applicant will then be responsible for service of notice of the appointment on the responding party or parties.
   When using this procedure, applicants are reminded that at least three clear days' notice to any other party (ie before close of business on Monday) are required if an application is to be heard “with notice” on a Friday. If insufficient notice is given the hearing can, and normally will, take place as an application made "without notice", whether or not the responding party attends. The Judge will make such order as is appropriate in the circumstances.
   Extreme urgency
5.7   During normal working hours, emergency applications (ie applications where even the expedited procedure timetable would be inadequate) can and should be made directly to the Senior Chancery Judge. Contact should be made with her clerk (see Paragraph 3.1) who will make special arrangements appropriate to the circumstances. There is no facility at the court for dealing with “out of hours” emergency applications. In any such case, litigants should use the emergency “out of hours” service at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand (Tel:
6.   Case management
6.1   Case management hearings before a District Judge will usually be held on Fridays, at 26 Park Crescent,
6.2   Case management hearings and applications before a Circuit Judge will usually also be heard on Fridays at 10 a.m. or 2 pm, at 26 Park Crescent.
6.3   Appeals from a Chancery District Judge will normally be listed before the Senior Chancery Circuit Judge, and as part of the general daily Chancery List. If a trial is imminent, appropriate time arrangements will be made.
6.4   It is essential that the parties provided accurate time estimates for applications and case management conferences. If this is not done, and it is apparent that the application will seriously overrun the time allocated, the parties run the risk that the judge will adjourn the application, with possible sanctions in costs.
6.5   Parties will usually be asked to provide an agreed minute of case management directions ordered at a hearing, and they can often avoid the need for a hearing by drafting or agreeing proposed directions beforehand.
   To assist litigants, a form of standard model directions frequently given in CHY cases (Form MT3(CHY) ) is at Annex B. Attention is draw in particular to the procedure for fixing trial dates â€" see below.
7.   Listing of Trials and time estimates
7.1   Fast track Chancery trials will usually be heard by one of the Chancery District Judges. Fast track trials take place on Thursdays, and the Chancery District Judges list their own cases for hearing.
7.2   Multi-track Chancery trials will be given fixed dates in accordance with the usual practice of the CLCJC for multi-track cases. Where the solicitors are on e-mail (as most now are) the trial date is set by an e-mail listing appointment:
7.2.1   This will be given for a Thursday at 11 am, and the parties will be given the relevant email address.
7.2.2   Prior to the appointment, the court will ascertain (or estimate, if such information has not been given) the estimated trial length, and will specify an appropriate trial window.
7.2.3   The parties will be directed to keep the listing appointment by emailing the court, at the relevant time, with dates to avoid during the trial window. (Alternatively, such dates may be filed at least one hour before the appointment, or the appointment may be attended in person).
7.2.4   The trial date will be fixed by the court office immediately after the designated listing appointment on the basis of the information then available.
   Thereafter, it will not be vacated except on application at a hearing before a Circuit Judge and on payment of the relevant fee.
   When drafting case management orders, solicitors and counsel should note that this is now the usual procedure, and expressions such as "first open date after …" are obsolete. The court’s standard form listing direction can be found at paragraphs of Annex B.
7.3   Parties should note that the practice is to give listing appointments at an early stage, as soon as the likely witnesses and trial length are known, regardless of the length of time needed for subsequent case preparation. The court is able to fix an appropriate window well in advance, and the early fixing of a trial date has been shown to improve efficient trial management.
7.4   Subject to absences there are usually three Chancery Circuit Judges available to sit at all times. It is therefore the practice of the Chancery Section to list four cases to be heard in parallel at any time, in the confident expectation that at least one will settle shortly before trial. There remains, however the risk that all cases will stand up. In this case every effort is made (including, where possible, the use of a Recorder or of another Resident Judge with appropriate experience) to ensure that no case is adjourned out.
7.5   The CLCJC aims to achieve continuous listing so that cases should not have to be adjourned part heard. Despite the limited number of Chancery judges available to hear cases the Chancery Section pursues this objective, and a case in the Chancery List will never be adjourned part heard for any significant length of time simply because it has overrun its trial estimate. However, a case which overruns from a Thursday may well have to be adjourned to the following week, to accommodate Friday case management business.
7.6   The parties’ time estimates are critical to the objective of providing flexibility and continuous listing for the benefit of all litigants. Time estimates should always be practical and realistic. The parties should note the following:
7.6.1   Time estimates for Chancery cases should be provided in the following form: “Estimated time: … days, [including] [excluding] … hours pre-reading time for the judge. This estimate [includes an estimated … hours/minutes] [does not include time] for giving judgment, if judgment is delivered immediately.”
7.6.2   Where pre-reading time is specified, the court will endeavour to give the trial a “not before” marking to accommodate this. The parties can contact the Chancery Section after 4 pm on the day before the hearing, to ascertain whether their attendance will be required at 10.30 am or only at a later time.
7.6.3   Time estimates should assume that witness statements will be taken as read and that accordingly that no significant time will normally be required for oral evidence in chief. Pre-reading time should be calculated to allow for the reading of witness statements.
7.6.4   The trial judge will not normally expect to pre-read bundles of documents, apart from any key documents indicated as being required for a basic understanding of the case, unless arrangements are specifically made for this. If extensive reading of bundles is required, then the parties’ advocates should decide whether this is best done before or during the hearing itself, and should make their time estimates accordingly.
7.6.5   Allowance should be made for any witnesses using interpreters. Experience indicates that the use of an interpreter trebles the length of time for a witness’s oral evidence.
7.7   Apart from the above, as a general rule, the parties should assume that, before the hearing, the judge will have been able to read the skeleton arguments, any key documents, and the witness statements, but not bundles of documentary evidence.
7.8   It is the duty of the parties to inform the Chancery Section Manager immediately of any changes in the time estimate of the case.
8.   Usual Practice of the Court
8.1   Subject to the protocols set out in this guide and to any specific requirements of the Civil Procedure Rules, the Chancery List at CLCJC will follow the practice set out in the Chancery Guide (see Volume II of the White Book)
8.2   Annex A lists the types of case suitable for the Chancery List. If a claim which is to be issued at CLCJC is thought suitable for the Chancery List, the claim form should be marked on its face as "Chancery Business” in accordance with the CPR. Any claim form so marked will be given a “CHY” number and referred to the Chancery Section. If it turns out that the case is not appropriate for the Chancery list, it will be transferred to the ordinary list when it comes before a Judge.
8.3   If a case issued at CLCJC in the ordinary list comes before a judge who regards it as appropriate for the Chancery List, he or she will direct transfer to the Chancery List subject to the approval of a Chancery Judge. The case will then be allocated a "CHY" number. Solicitors and counsel who consider that their case would benefit from being tried by a Chancery Judge should ask the Judge dealing with case management to consider transfer to the Chancery List.
8.4   Any case which is transferred to CLCJC from either the High Court or another county court will also be allocated a new "CHY" number. (The source will be designated by retaining the designating initials of the original court as a suffix to the CHY number.)
8.5   When a case is transferred to Central London Chancery List from either a county court or the High Court, the file will be immediately placed before the Senior Chancery Judge, who will review the existing case management directions (if any), and either give appropriate directions on paper for the further conduct of the matter or direct an immediate case management conference.
8.6   Cases are often transferred from the High Court at a very early stage. If the parties agree, heavier matters may also be transferred voluntarily. This can be a useful way of obtaining an earlier hearing in an urgent case which is suitable for trial by a Circuit Judge.
8.7   Advocates may assume that in Chancery Cases, robes will be worn for trials and appeals, and that robes will not be worn for applications, except committal proceedings for contempt of court.
9.   Documents
9.1   The practice set out in the Chancery Guide and in CPR part 39 should be followed in respect of bundles and skeleton arguments.
9.2   Bundles and skeleton arguments should be lodged in accordance with case management directions in the case, but at the very latest they must be lodged 24 hours prior to the time fixed for hearing. They should be marked for the attention of the Chancery Section Manager and delivered to the fourth floor office at 26 Park Crescent.
9.3   Provided the hard copy skeleton argument is available at the actual hearing, skeleton arguments may be sent by fax or e-mail to the Chancery Section Manager on the numbers given above (see Paragraphs 4.3 and 4.8). In addition, they may be sent by fax to “Reception” at 26 Park Crescent on 020 7917 7940. In no circumstances should an urgent fax be sent to any other numbers.
10.   Authorities
10.1   The modern practice of bringing photocopies of authorities to court is helpful to the judges and is encouraged. It is also helpful if any bundle of authorities is provided with an index and appropriate tabs, and if bulky, is placed in a ring binder or lever arch file.
10.2   Solicitors and counsel may wish to know that the court has a textbook library including most of the usual Chancery, landlord and tenant and mercantile books. It maintains a set of Law Reports, the All England Law Reports, the Weekly Law Reports and an up-to-date set of Halsbury’s Statutes and Halsbury’s Laws.
11.   Orders
11.1   Orders made after a hearing, whether a trial or an application, will be drawn up and dispatched on the same day wherever possible. In some circumstances however, dispatch may not take place until the following day.
11.2   In order to assist the court, parties should draw up, in advance of the hearing, a minute of any order that they expect to ask the court to make.
11.3   Where the terms of an order can only be finally decided at the hearing itself, solicitors and counsel should be prepared to draft a minute of the order after the hearing, to be handed in to the court clerk in order to assist the preparation of the sealed order. Alternatively, they may be asked to send in a minute to the court clerk by email, on returning to their office.
11.4   Where a party is granted relief at a hearing in the absence of the other party, the representative of the party obtaining the order should ensure either that the court confirms that it will be able to dispatch the sealed order within 24 hours, or that the judge gives any necessary direction for informing the absent party of the terms of the order in the interim.
11.5   Orders made after consideration of a case on paper will be drawn up and dispatched as soon as possible. However, as orders on hearings take priority, this may take up to a week. Counsel and solicitors should bear in mind the time constraints mentioned here and above at Paragraph 5.1-5.3 when making any application for an order without a hearing. This is especially important if the order sought is time-sensitive; an application for determination at a hearing may be more appropriate.
12.   Transcripts
12.1   The court has a tape recording system in every courtroom. In the event of an appeal, therefore, a request should be made for a transcript of the evidence (if needed) and the judgment, if not handed down in writing.
12.2   Parties seeking to obtain a transcript should place an order with an approved member of the tape transcription panel and submit form EX107 to the court. Any enquiries related to transcripts should be directed in the first place to
  
   CJ Listings: Tel: 020 7917 7932/3
13.   Central London Chancery Court User Group
13.1   The CLCJC Chancery Court User Group has been re-established, to meet periodically to monitor the operation of the Chancery List.
13.2   The Group comprises representatives from the Chancery and Property Bar Associations, the Property Litigation Association, the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Solicitors, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the West London Law Society, the Westminster and Holborn Law Society, and representative local solicitors’ firms. Meetings are attended by the court's Chancery Judiciary and Chancery Section management.
13.3   The group is anxious to be kept informed of how the Chancery List is working in order to ensure that the best possible service can be delivered to meet the needs of users. Complaints, comments, suggestions and ideas for improvement may be communicated through any member of the group. However in the first place it will be useful if suggestions could be sent to either the Trial Centre Manager (Mark Clark) or the Senior Chancery Judge (HH Judge Hazel Marshall QC) at 26 Park Crescent, London W1B1HT.
   
   January 2007
   
   ANNEX A
   
   Cases suitable for the Chancery List at Central London Civil Justice Centre
   
   Any case in the following list which is either expressly transferred from the High Court or is otherwise within the jurisdiction of the County Court.
   Note: Where a subject is noted * as being potentially suitable for either the Chancery or the General List, it is for the Claimant's solicitor to choose which is regarded as more appropriate in the first instance.
   Thereafter, the case will continue in that list unless transferred by the Court on case management, either of its own initiative, or upon application: see Paragraphs 1.4 and 1.5 of the Guide
   Wills
  
-   Probate disputes
-   Interpretation
-   Inheritance Act.
   Administration of Estates
   Trusts
   All matters relating to the validity of trusts and their administration but including especially
  
-   Resulting and constructive trusts.
-   Home sharing cases (s.14 of the Trusts of Land Act 1996)
   Land
  
-   Sale of land (including specific performance claims)
-   Contracts affecting land
-   Disputes as to title
-   Boundary disputes
-   Land registration
-   Right of way and other easements and rights over land
-   Adverse possession
-   Proprietary estoppel
   Landlord & Tenant
   Many landlord and tenant matters, and in particular business tenancy disputes under the 1954 Act, are suitable either for the Chancery or the General List.*
   The Chancery List is particularly suitable for
  
-   Substantial breach of covenant/forfeiture claims
-   Rent review and other valuation matters
-   Service charges and management (if not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the LVT.)
-   Leasehold enfranchisement.
-   Agricultural tenancies
   It is less suitable or necessary for
  
-   Residential tenancies
-   Housing cases.
   Partnership Actions
  
-   Disputes as to the existence, terms, or termination of any partnership
-   Administration or winding up of any partnership business.
   Company Law
  
-   Shareholders’ agreements
-   Disputes regarding the running or management of a company
-   But NOT cases within the exclusive statutory jurisdiction of the Companies Court.
   It should also be noted that Central London Civil Justice Centre has no jurisdiction in personal insolvency, and therefore no original company winding up jurisdiction.
   Claims under s 423 Insolvency Act 1986Acts
   Dispositions in fraud of creditors
   Torts
  
-   Torts in the property and commercial fields especially trespass, nuisance, and negligence in relation to assets and business or financial matters. (Many such matters may also be suitable for the General List.*)
-   Fraud including constructive trusts and tracing
   Mortgages, banking and financial mattes
   Mortgages, charges and securities including banking securities (other than simple mortgage possession cases where no defence is raised other than on the figure), but especially
  
-   O’Brien defences.
-   Disputes regarding priority of mortgages or charges
-   Guarantees and indemnities
-   Assignments of choses in action
-   Subrogation
   Business litigation*
   Business disputes may be suitable for either the General List or the Chancery List. The Chancery List is an appropriate list for business litigation as an alternative to a mercantile list, in particular where a complex point of legal principle or interpretation of contract may arise.
   Injunctions and equitable remedies
   All forms of equitable relief, including
  
-   injunction,
-   specific performance,
-   declarations as to interests,
-   tracing, and
   equitable accounting
-   Claims in restitution
   Professional negligence related to any of the above topics
  
-   including solicitors, surveyors, architects, accountants, financial advisers.
   
   Annex B
   
   Model standard case management directions for Chancery List cases at Central London Civil Justice Centre. -- Form MT3 (CHY)
   Form MT 3 (CHY)
   Case Number:
   Parties:
  
 1.   This case be allocated to the Multi Track.
 2.   The parties do give serious consideration to using the Mediation Scheme at this Court with a view to reaching an early settlement.(Further particulars can be obtained from the Mediation Section telephone 020 7917 5053). The parties will be expected to provide an explanation if mediation has not been attempted. Costs consequences may follow.
   DISCLOSURE
 3.   Each party shall give to the other parties standard disclosure of documents on Form N265 by 4.00pm on [ ]
 4.   All requests for inspection of or a copy of a document must be made by 4.00pm on [normally 7 days later]. Copies of requested documents to be supplied by 4 pm on [ normally a further 7 days later].
   WITNESS STATEMENTS
 5.   The parties shall [serve][exchange] statements of witnesses of fact by 4.00pm on [ ].
   EXPERT EVIDENCE [Use (1) (2) or (3)]
  
(1)   No expert evidence
 6.   [It being agreed] [The court being of the view] that no expert evidence is required, neither party has permission to rely on expert evidence without further order.
(2)   Single joint expert
 6.   Expert evidence [on the issue of ] shall be limited to the written report of a single expert [name if available] to be jointly instructed by the parties. Unless the parties agree in writing or the court otherwise orders, the fees and expenses of the single expert shall be paid by the parties equally.
 7.   Parties are to agree a letter of instruction to the single joint expert by 4 pm on
[ ].
Expert to provide a copy of his report to the parties and file his report with the court by 4 pm on
[ ].
 8.   Each party to serve any questions to the single joint expert on the other parties and the single joint expert by 4 pm on
[ ].
Expert to respond to such questions by 4 pm on
[ ] by serving a copy of his answers on the parties and filing the answers with the court.
 9.   If the parties cannot agree by 4.00pm on [ ] [who the expert is to be] [the form of the letter of instruction] [the payment of the expert’s fees] either party may apply to the court for further directions.
(3)   Parties’ experts
 5.   Each party has permission to rely on expert evidence of a [state discipline(s)].
 6.   Experts’ written reports to be served by 4 pm on
[ ].
 7.   Expert reports to be agreed if possible. If not, the experts shall hold without prejudice discussions and prepare and serve a statement of issues agreed and issues not agreed with a summary of the reasons for any disagreement by 4.00pm on
[ ].
 8.   Experts to attend for cross examination at the trial unless agreed by the parties or otherwise ordered by the Court.
   LISTING
 10.   The case is to be listed for trial before a circuit judge in the period from [ ] to [ ] with a time estimate of [ ] day/s, [including hours] [excluding any] pre-reading time for the court. [Note trial window in principle to be one month for each day of estimated length of trial.]
 11.   On Thursday [date 4-6 weeks before trial window] at 11 a.m. each party must email the Listing Appointment Clerk at clondctyla@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk with dates to be avoided between [ dates as above ] for parties, witnesses and advocates. The parties are encouraged to agree a list of such dates, in which case one party may email on behalf of all, provided he certifies that all others have agreed. If you do not have access to e-mail you must ensure dates to avoid are filed at the court office 26 Park Crescent, London W1B 1HT, by no later than 1 hour prior to the appointment or by personal attendance at the appointment. All documents for a Listing Appointment MUST be clearly marked with the date and time of the appointment.
 12.   On receipt of the required information the court will allocate a hearing date and notify the parties. If the required information is not received by the time stated the court will list accordingly and confirm with a hard copy. Thereafter the hearing date will not be altered except on application on notice to a circuit judge on form N244 plus fee of £65 made payable to HMCS.
 13.   E-mail sent to clondctyla@hmcourts-service.gsi.gov.uk will not be acknowledged or otherwise dealt with unless it is providing information as directed by the court. Any abuse of this facility will be reported to the senior judge.
   PREPARATION FOR TRIAL
[ 14.   If considered necessary, direction for a Pre-Trial Review on an appropriate date, approximately 3-4 weeks before trial date. Provision can be made to vacate the PTR upon receipt of a joint certificate from the parties’ solicitors that the case is ready for trial and no further directions are required.]
 15.   Not less than [7] nor more than [3] days before the date fixed for trial, the Claimant is to prepare and file a trial bundle in accordance with the Practice Directionpdp-39to Part 39 CPR. [Such trial bundles is to include [a chronology] [a case summary not exceeding …. words] [a list of issues].]
 16.   Skeleton arguments are to be exchanged. Skeleton arguments are to be filed with the court at least [one] clear day before the date fixed for trial.
 17.   Parties to inform the court immediately if the case should settle.
   COSTS
 18.   Costs of this [application] [case management conference] [hearing] be
   [
].
   Dated:
   HH Judge
Mr/Ms Recorder
District Judge
Deputy District Judge