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Procedural nightmares

15 November 2018 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7817 / Categories: Opinion , Procedure & practice , Costs
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​Dominic Regan provides some answers to the civil procedure worries keeping you up at night

Every October, I visit six cities and deliver a lengthy annual review of civil procedure. This year, the same three concerns were raised at every venue. What follows are my answers to those questions.

How do I ensure that Pt 36 doesn’t trip me up?

It is astonishing to think that so far this year we have had over a dozen reported decisions on the measure, five from the Court of Appeal, and another High Court judgment is imminent.

First things first: one must abide by the requirements of the provision. The safest way to make a compliant offer is by using the court form of offer, the N242A. Use of the form is not mandatory, but the benefit is that it helpfully prompts the offeror as to what is required, such as a relevant period of at least 21 days. Do not seek to adjust the measures enshrined in the Rule.

The deadly trap within Pt 36 is that

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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