CPR changes from 1 October: 4 pilot schemes and a new financial list

A raft of changes are due to come into place on Thursday 1 October, as set out in the Civil Procedure (Amendments No. 4) Rules 2015, SI 2015/1569 (L20) as well as the 81st Update PD Making Document which includes 4 pilot schemes and a new financial list.

1. The County Court at Central London multi track pilot scheme—CPR PD 51I

CPR PD 51I is amended to extend the length of the pilot scheme for a further year to 30 September 2016.

2. New Bill of costs Pilot Scheme—CPR PD 51L

A new pilot scheme is set out in Schedule 2 to the 81st PD Making Document. This will be in operation from 1 October 2015 to the 1 April 2016 and will apply to detailed assessment proceedings in the SCCO where notice of commencement is served on or after 1 October 2015. If the party commencing the detailed assessment uses the New Bill of Costs then the detailed assessment proceedings will be treated as being under the pilot scheme and the provisions in this practice direction will apply. It is therefore voluntary as the commencement could use the old bill of Costs.

While CPR PD 51L provides an end date of 1 April 2016, Alexander Hutton QC at the ACL conference last week suggested that mandatory use of the new bill of costs might be delayed until the end of the next year and so there is a possibility that the pilot scheme be extended through to October 2016. That said, at the Costs Law & Practice Conference this week if is suggested that if you are seeking a detailed assessment the listing time is currently November 2017 and so it is likely to be mandatory to use the new Bill of costs by then.

The new model form Bill of costs is available: Annex Precedent AA New model form of costs [PDF]

The spreadsheet for the New Bill of Costs is available: Copy of Practice Direction 51L New Bill of Costs Pilot Excel version of precedent.xlsx (currently available to LexisPSL Subscribers only - we will update this asap).

3 & 4. Rolls Building Courts shorter and flexible trials pilot schemes—CPR PD 51N

See our post New pilot schemes for Rolls Building claims issued on or after 1 October 2015

New Financial List—new CPR 63A, PD 63AA and court forms

Further information & guidance

For guidance on the County Court at Central London multi track pilot scheme, LexisPSL Dispute Resolution subscribers can see Practice Note: County Court money claims—early stages progress up to allocation—The County Court at Central London multi-track pilot scheme—Practice Directions 51I.

For detailed information on the bill of costs pilot scheme, LexisPSL Dispute Resolution subscribers can see Practice Note: New Bill of Costs pilot scheme.

Click here for a free trial to access the above guidance.