22 May 2020
For The Urgent Attention Of All Practitioners
LISTING OF CASES - UPDATES FROM THE OFFICE OF THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE
The
Office of the Lord Chief Justice (OLCJ) has forwarded the following information
along with listings for cases to be administratively reviewed.
You
should check these lists as a matter of urgency to see if you or a colleague in
your office has a case which appears thereon and if so please make contact with
a representative of the other parties involved in the litigation and action as
required.
Given
the difficulties presented by the current pandemic, it may be that one or more of the legal representatives is currently
unavailable due to furlough or otherwise in which case you may wish to contact
one of the principals in that office.
Colleagues
are advised to REGULARLY monitor the Coronavirus section of the website
of Judiciary NI - https://judiciaryni.uk/coronavirus-covid-19 and the Society's
e-Newsletter - E-nformer.
CHANCERY CASES
The Judge will
undertake a further administrative review of Chancery cases listed between 11th
May and the end of the Trinity Term (30th June 2020). Please
see attached List.
Representatives
should collaboratively complete and lodge form ChancI1 by email with the
Chancery Office (chanceryoffice@courtsni.gov.uk) by 28th May 2020. Where a
party is not represented or is a litigant in person, the Chancery Office will
advise them to complete and lodge form LIPCI1.
Where no form is
received from either party the case will be adjourned for 4 weeks. Where the
judge determines a review hearing is required the parties will be notified and
the hearing will take place remotely.
Furthermore, any
urgent applications will continue to be dealt with as per the Lord Chief
Justice’s earlier guidance.
HIGH COURT FAMILY
CASES
The Judge will
undertake a further administrative review of High Court Family cases listed for
hearing between 11th May 2020 and the end of the Trinity Term (30th
June 2020). Please see attached List.
Representatives
should complete and lodge form FCI1 by email with the Family Office in the RCJ
by 29th May 2020 (RCJChildrenoffice@courtsni.gov.uk). Where the judge determines a review
hearing is required this will take place on Monday 8th June 2020.
FAMILY CARE
CENTRES AT BELFAST / CRAIGAVON / LONDONDERRY / DUNGANNON & FAMILY
PROCEEDINGS COURTS IN ARDS AND LISBURN
Guidance issued by the OLCJ
on 12th May 2020 sets out plans to commence administrative reviews
of cases in each of the four Family Care Courts (FCCs), and the Family
Proceedings Courts (FPC) in Ards and in Lisburn. Further Guidance
relating to family proceedings can be found here.
The Guidance
issued today 22nd May 2020 expands on that for the FCC at
https://judiciaryni.uk/sites/judiciary/files/media-files/Covid-19%20-%20Family%20Care%20Centre%20%28FCC%29%20Recovery%20220520.pdf
and for the FPC in Ards and in Lisburn at
https://judiciaryni.uk/sites/judiciary/files/media-files/Covid-19%20-%20Family%20Proceedings%20Court%20%28FPC%29%20-%20Ards%20%26%20Lisburn%20Pilot%20220520.pdf
The OLCJ has
also forwarded the Society lists
provided by the Court Offices of cases to be reviewed and indicating the
date by which forms should be returned to the Court Office. This will normally be within a week
of issue.
Any
urgent or agreed applications will continue to be dealt with as per the Lord
Chief Justice’s earlier guidance.
- List of cases to
be administratively reviewed
The
judges will undertake administrative reviews of the cases in the attached lists
for
(i) cases at Belfast Family Care Centre, Craigavon Family Care Centre,
Londonderry Family Care Centre and for the Family Proceedings Courts in Ards
and in Lisburn during week commencing 8th June 2020.
(ii) cases at Dungannon Family Care Centre during weeks commencing 8th
and 22nd June 2020.
In
respect of cases falling within (i) representatives should identify their cases
from the attached lists, and collaboratively complete and lodge Form FCI1 by email to the relevant
court office by 29th May 2020. The subject line of
your email should state ‘FPC Review’ or ‘FCC Review’ as appropriate.
In
respect of cases falling within (ii), representatives should identify their
cases from the attached list, and collaboratively complete and lodge
Form FCI1 by email to the relevant
court office by 29th May 2020 (for w/c 8th
June lists) and 12th June (for w/c 22nd June lists).
The subject line of your email should state ‘FPC Review’ or ‘FCC Review’ as
appropriate.
Where
no form is received from either party the case will be adjourned to a fixed
date. Where the judge determines a review hearing is required the parties
will be notified of the arrangements.
Any queries regarding the administrative reviews
should be directed to the relevant court office.
CROWN COURT REVIEWS
Existing
guidance on the website has been updated with regard to a review to be
undertaken by Mr Justice O’Hara of his Crown Court (HCJ) cases to be held on
Friday 12th June and Tuesday 23rd June 2020. For further
information see
https://judiciaryni.uk/sites/judiciary/files/media-files/Covid-19%20-%20Crown%20Court%20Reviews%20-%20210520_0.pdf.
The
Society understands that the attached list of cases with provisional review dates has
already been sent to relevant counsel and solicitors but members may wish to
check same.
MASTERS’ GUIDANCE
The Guidance for Masters’ Courts that was
published on 19th and 23rd March 2020 has been
updated. It can be accessed at https://judiciaryni.uk/sites/judiciary/files/media-files/Covid-19%20-%20Masters%20Composite%20Guidance%20FINAL%20-%20210520_0.doc
The new
guidance contains arrangements for QB Masters (Interim Payments) and OCP
(Medical Report for Controller Applications).
Practitioners are asked to note that reduced
staffing levels will impact on the time required to deal with all matters.