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Civil way: 12 September 2014

12 September 2014
Issue: 7621 / Categories: Features , Civil way , Procedure & practice
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No cracking & hot-tubbing; intestacy law & Inheritance Act reforms & a lowdown on the update

“CALM DOWN DEAR”

New guidance on the instruction of experts in civil cases has just been published by the Civil Justice Council and then republished in revised form. However, do not panic because it will not come formally into force until this autumn when it will replace the protocol on experts which currently forms part of CPR PD35.

The guidance, like PD35, usefully points out that while permission from the court to rely on an expert or call them to give oral evidence is required, an expert can generally be instructed by a party without any permission. Nevertheless, many practitioners habitually go after court permission to instruct. And as to what is actually new:

  • a section on sequential exchange of reports suggesting that in this situation the defendant’s report should usually be produced in response to the claimant’s report;
  • where a solicitor sends additional documents to an expert before finalising of their report, the expert is to be told
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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