13.01.13
Judicial Office publishes guide for litigants in person making interim applications to High Court
A guide for self-represented litigants making applications to the Interim Applications Court of the Queens Bench Division of the High Court has been published online.
Applications frequently heard in the Interim Applications Court ('Court 37') include urgent applications for non-disclosure injunctions and freezing injunctions. The guide was written by Mr Justice Foskett with assistance from the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Personal support Unit in the Royal Courts of Justice. Writing in the guides foreword, sir John Thomas, President of the Queens Bench Division, said:-
All courts throughout the country recognise the right of parties to represent themselves in a case that involves them. The difficulties that this may present to a person unfamiliar with court procedures are also recognised.
Past experience shows that self-represented litigants appear in [the Interim Applications Court in the Queens Bench Division of the High Court] quite frequently. The purpose of the Guide is simply to set out a few important practical points for a self-represented litigant to bear in mind when presenting his or her case. It does not set out to cover every aspect of the procedure, nor does it deal with any features of the substantive law. However, our hope is that it will help smooth the way for cases involving self-represented litigants in the Interim Applications Court to be heard fairly and effectively by the judge in the allotted time.
Although designed for self-represented litigants, we hope that lawyers appearing in this court will consider the contents of the Guide carefully.
A copy of the Guide can be found at the below webpage:
http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/guidance/2013/guide-self-represented-qbd.htm
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