The New Civil Procedure Rules First Report May 2017 Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 Background to the rules rewrite project.............................................................................. 3 The Acts ........................................................................................................................ 3 The Rules Rewrite Working Group ................................................................................. 4 The Rules Rewrite Drafting Team and implementation of the 2014 Act .......................... 5 The Rules Rewrite Project ................................................................................................. 6 The scope of the project ................................................................................................. 6 Matters out with the scope of the project ........................................................................ 8 Purpose of this report ........................................................................................................ 9 Discussion papers .......................................................................................................... 9 Engagement with the public and the professions ......................................................... 10 Chapter 2. A statement of principle .............................................................................. 11 Background ..................................................................................................................... 11 The Scottish Civil Courts Review ................................................................................. 11 The Rules Rewrite Working Group ............................................................................... 11 Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 12 The effect of a statement of principle ........................................................................... 12 The content of a statement of principle ........................................................................ 13 Draft provision ................................................................................................................. 15 Chapter 3. Initiating an action ....................................................................................... 17 Background ..................................................................................................................... 17 The Scottish Civil Courts Review ................................................................................. 17 Petition and summons procedure .................................................................................... 18 Research ..................................................................................................................... 18 The abolition of the distinction ...................................................................................... 18 A fast-track procedure .................................................................................................. 19 Remedies..................................................................................................................... 20 The mode of proof ........................................................................................................ 20 Pleadings ........................................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 4. Initial case management.............................................................................. 22 Background ..................................................................................................................... 22 The Scottish Civil Courts Review ................................................................................. 22 Active judicial case management ................................................................................. 22 Forms of case management ............................................................................................ 24 Alternatives to active judicial case management .......................................................... 24 Case-flow management ............................................................................................... 24 Fast-track procedure .................................................................................................... 26 Standard orders ........................................................................................................... 26 A case management questionnaire .............................................................................. 28 A model for initial case management ........................................................................... 28 Chapter 5. Case management powers .......................................................................... 31 Background ..................................................................................................................... 31 The Scottish Civil Courts Review ................................................................................. 31 Identifying the issues in dispute ....................................................................................... 31 Background .................................................................................................................. 31 Pre-action protocols ..................................................................................................... 31 The disclosure of evidence .......................................................................................... 32 Summary disposal ....................................................................................................... 33 Managing time efficiently ................................................................................................. 34 Background .................................................................................................................. 34 Discussion ................................................................................................................... 35 Effective sanctions for non-compliance ............................................................................ 35 Background .................................................................................................................. 35 Discussion ................................................................................................................... 36 Draft provision ................................................................................................................. 36 Chapter 6. Evidence ....................................................................................................... 39 Expert witnesses ............................................................................................................. 39 The duties of expert witnesses ..................................................................................... 39 Case management powers .......................................................................................... 39 Expert evidence ............................................................................................................... 40 The reports of expert witnesses and skilled persons .................................................... 40 The form of expert evidence ........................................................................................ 41 Evidence management powers ....................................................................................... 42 Commercial court practice ........................................................................................... 42 Draft provision ................................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 7. The form, style and language of court rules .............................................. 46 The form of rules ............................................................................................................. 46 Acts of sederunt ........................................................................................................... 46 The number and size of instruments ............................................................................ 47 The challenge of consistency ....................................................................................... 48 Approaches to the number of instruments .................................................................... 49 The style of rules ............................................................................................................. 49 The particular challenges of drafting court rules ........................................................... 49 A particular challenge: amendment .............................................................................. 50 A particular challenge: setting out time limits and periods ............................................ 51 A particular challenge: timetables and processes ......................................................... 52 A particular challenge: forms ........................................................................................ 53 The