The Department of Justice has issued a practice direction in connection with the new insolvency express trials pilot.
The pilot scheme operates from 1 April 2016 for two years. It applies to proceedings before the Bankruptcy Registrars in the Bankruptcy and Companies Courts of the Chancery Division of the High Court.
It is designed to deal with simple applications made to a Bankruptcy Registrar:
- which can be disposed of in no more than two days;
- which require limited directions (as opposed to case management) and disclosure of documents; and
- where the costs of each party will not exceed £75,000 (excluding VAT and court fees but including any conditional fee agreement uplift).
The practice direction is available here.