Guide to going solo

The judiciary has published a guide for self-represented litigants seeking court orders.

It offers advice to those making applications to the Interim Applications Court of the Queen’s Bench Division, which deals with applications for orders pending the final trial of a case. Examples might include injunctions preventing confidential information being disclosed or a “freezing order” on money or property.

Historically, many self-represented litigants have appeared in the court, and numbers are expected to increase.

Introducing the guide, Sir John Thomas, president of the Queen’s Bench Division, writes: “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.”