The County Court (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2013

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981 (S.R. 1981 No. 225) to –

• provide a new Appendix 2 which includes 3 additional new bands in Table 1 from £15,000 - £30,000; an amendment to the fee for additional day hearings; a new fee for drafting interrogatories and answers to interrogatories in cases of particular complexity; a reduction in fee bands from 8 to 4 and 3 additional new bands from £15,000 - £30,000 where no notice of intention to defend is served; and otherwise increase costs over a two year period (2% in 2013 with a further 2% increase to take effect in 2014);

• allow the plaintiff to require the defendant to serve particulars of defence;

• require the plaintiff to notify the defendant in writing of his intention to lodge the certificate of readiness no later than 14 days prior to lodging the certificate;

• allow interlocutory applications to be determined by a judge without a hearing in the absence of a specific provision to the contrary;

• allow district judges’ to deal with interlocutory applications which fall within their jurisdiction;

• provide that discovery is automatic;

• allow interrogatories to be served without leave;

• provide rules on evidence in clinical negligence cases; and

• allow a district judge to exercise the same powers as a county court judge in specific circumstances.