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Covid-19 - The Lord Chief Justice Issues Updated Guidance for all Courts in Northern Ireland

Published 23 marzo 2020

The Lord Chief Justice has now issued updated guidance for all courts in Northern Ireland. This is now available on the Department of Justice website.

Click here to view the latest guidance which is to come in effect from week commencing Monday 30th March 2020.

The most important aspects of this new guidance are:

In cases that have already been listed or that have been taken out of the list for the week commencing 30 March 2020, legal representatives in the case should complete a form – links are provided below;
The relevant forms should be shared with the other party in sufficient time to enable it to be completed and lodged with the relevant court office;
In all tiers the appropriate form should be submitted by 4.00 pm at least two working days in advance of the date listed for the hearing;
Legal representatives in a case they should check ICOS for the judicial decision on whether the case is to taken out of the list or listed for a remote hearing on a date to be fixed. The court office will communicate the judge’s decision by email to parties who do not have legal representation;
Where a case is not deemed to be an emergency, adjournments, reviews, agreed Orders and indeed consideration of settlements, are encouraged to keep matters progressing
In the event that a remote hearing is ultimately, essential, the parties must agree, be proactive and set out in the relevant form, their agreed proposals as to how witnesses and legal representatives can give evidence remotely via video link or telephone.

Here are some further quick links to the forms most necessary to conduct Civil court business in the coming weeks. The courts encourage legal representatives to complete these collaboratively

High Court – Queen’s Bench Division Form
County Court Form
Commercial Hub Form

We will continue to keep you updated as developments arise.

Authors

Sean McGahan

Belfast

+44 (0) 289 041 2820

smcgahan@dacbeachcroft.com

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