Practice directions

21 March 2011

Some changes have been made to the Practice directions for the UK Supreme Court and the JCPC.

Many of the changes made are minor amendments to effect a number of corrections or other changes which are thought to be desirable in the light of experience. Several of the amendments proposed to the JCPC Practice Directions have been put forward by the users, e.g. for reductions in the numbers of copies required.

The more substantive changes are these

  • guidance on the length of grounds of appeal (UKSC PD3 para 3.1.2 and JCPC PD 3 para 3.1.2) and on chronologies in statements of facts and issues (UKSC PD 5 para 5.1.3 and JCPC PD 5 para 5.1.7);
  • an express reference to the House of Lords' Practice Statement of 26 July 1966 on judicial precedent and the passage in Austin v Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Southwark [2010] UKSC 28 making it clear that the statement still applies;
  • further guidance on volumes of authorities and the need for a "core volume" (UKSC PD 6 para 6.5.2 et seq and JCPC PD 6 para 6.4.2);
  • more detailed provisions on interventions (UKSC PD 6 para 6.9.4 and JCPC PD 6 para 6.8.3);
  • more detailed provisions on electronic bundles (UKSC PD 14 and JCPC PD 9);
  • the test for granting permission in criminal JCPC cases (para 3.3.3);
  • guidance on appeals as of right to the JCPC (paras 3.3.3 and 4.1.2);
  • orders for security in JCPC appeals as of right (para 7.9.2).