The Criminal Procedure Rules 2020

The duty of the court

3.2.—(1) The court must further the overriding objective by actively managing the case.

(2) Active case management includes―

(a) the early identification of the real issues;

(b) the early identification of the needs of witnesses;

(c) achieving certainty as to what must be done, by whom, and when, in particular by the early setting of a timetable for the progress of the case;

(d) monitoring the progress of the case and compliance with directions;

(e) ensuring that evidence, whether disputed or not, is presented in the shortest and clearest way;

(f) discouraging delay, dealing with as many aspects of the case as possible on the same occasion, and avoiding unnecessary hearings;

(g) encouraging the participants to co-operate in the progression of the case; and

(h) making use of technology.

(3) The court must actively manage the case by giving any direction appropriate to the needs of that case as early as possible.

(4) Where appropriate live links are available, making use of technology for the purposes of this rule includes directing the use of such facilities, whether an application for such a direction is made or not―

(a) for the conduct of a pre-trial hearing, including a pre-trial case management hearing;

(b) for the defendant’s attendance at such a hearing―

(i) where the defendant is in custody, or where the defendant is not in custody and wants to attend by live link, but

(ii) only if the court is satisfied that the defendant can participate effectively by such means, having regard to all the circumstances including whether the defendant is represented or not; and

(c) for receiving evidence under one of the powers to which the rules in Part 18 apply (Measures to assist a witness or defendant to give evidence).

(5) Where appropriate telephone facilities are available, making use of technology for the purposes of this rule includes directing the use of such facilities, whether an application for such a direction is made or not, for the conduct of a pre-trial case management hearing―

(a) if telephone facilities are more convenient for that purpose than live links;

(b) unless at that hearing the court expects to take the defendant’s plea; and

(c) only if―

(i) the defendant is represented, or

(ii) exceptionally, the court is satisfied that the defendant can participate effectively by such means without a representative.

[Note. In relation to the defendant’s attendance by live link at a pre-trial hearing, see sections 46ZA and 47 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984(1) and sections 57A to 57D and 57F of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998(2).

In relation to the giving of evidence by a witness and the giving of evidence by the defendant, see section 32 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988(3), sections 19, 24 and 33A of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999(4) and section 51 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003(5). Part 18 (Measures to assist a witness or defendant to give evidence) contains relevant rules.]

(1)

1984 c. 60; section 46ZA was inserted by section 46 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48) and amended by section 107 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25). Section 47 was amended by sections 27, 29 and 168 of, and Schedule 11 to, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c. 33), section 46 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37), section 109 of, and paragraph 283 of Schedule 8 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), sections 12 and 28 of, and paragraphs 1 and 10 of Schedule 1 and paragraphs 1 and 6 of Schedule 2 to, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), sections 10 and 46 of, and paragraphs 1, 6 and 11 of Schedule 6 to, the Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48) and section 1 of the Police (Detention and Bail) Act 2011 (c. 9).

(2)

1998 c. 37; sections 57A to 57E were substituted for section 57 as originally enacted by section 45 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48). Section 57A was amended by section 109 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25) and section 105 of, and paragraphs 36 and 39 of Schedule 12 to, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10). Sections 57B, 57C and 57D were amended by section 106 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25). Section 57F was inserted by section 109 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25).

(3)

1988 c. 33; section 32 was amended by section 55 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53), section 29 of, and paragraph 16 of Schedule 2 to, the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 (c. 35), section 62 of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (c. 25), section 67 of, and Schedule 6 and paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (c. 23) and article 3 of, and paragraphs 24 and 26 of the Schedule to S.I. 2004/2035.

(4)

1999 c. 23; section 24 was amended by paragraph 385 of Schedule 8 to, and Schedule 10 to, the Courts Act 2003 (c. 39) and section 102(1) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25). Section 33A was inserted by section 47 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 (c. 48).

(5)

2003 c. 44.