Revised UKSC Practice Directions
9 February 2012
Some changes have been made to the Practice Directions and they are indicated by footnotes on the new versions. Some of the amendments are minor corrections but several of the substantive changes have been put forward by Users. The more substantive changes are these.
Practice Direction 5
The presentation of documents continues to raise problems and parties have tended to provide bundles which are too heavy or which are bound in such a way that the bundles will not remain open. The amendments to Practice Direction 5 seek to remedy this problem.
Practice Direction 6
Building on the proposal put forward at the last Users' meeting, Practice Direction 6 is amended in order to set out the aim of the first volume of authorities. The Court wishes to see how the various revisions operate in practice before going further.
Again following the suggestion put forward by the Users, the President has made it clear that, provided that all Counsel agree, they may dispense with part or all of court dress. The procedure for making such a request is set out in paragraph 6.6.8 of Practice Direction 6.
Practice Direction 7
Annex 2 is amended to reflect the recent changes in court fees and to make it clear that the Registry charges for photocopying in both civil and criminal cases.
Practice Direction 8
A new provision is inserted in Practice Direction 8 for the Supreme Court and in Practice Direction 7 for the Privy Council in order to set out the procedure where a solicitor or an agent has ceased to act for a party. The procedure is closely modelled on that of the Civil Procedure Rules.
Practice Direction 10
Minor amendments to this Practice Direction are made as a result of the Court's experience in the Axa appeal. References to a provision of the Government of Wales Act 2006 which has been repealed are also deleted.
Practice Direction 14
The link to the electronic bundle on the website is added to these two practice directions.