The County Court (Amendment No. 4) Rules 1989

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the County Court Rules 1981 so as—

(a)to require the provision of a medical report and of a detailed statement of special damages when an action claiming damages for personal injuries is commenced (rules 2 to 4);

(b)to provide for the making of awards of provisional damages (where the plaintiff’s medical condition may deteriorate in the future) (rules 5 and 6);

(c)to reduce from 12 to 4 months the time within which a summons or an originating application may be served (except an originating application under Order 43, rule 6 where, as now, the application has to be served within 2 months) and to amend the rules on allowing extensions of the time for service (rules 7 to 11);

(d)to provide for directions as to the future conduct of a personal injuries case to take effect automatically (rules 12 to 14);

(e)to extend the power to grant summary judgment where the defendant has no real defence (rules 15 and 16);

(f)to make express provision for the separate trial of separate issues (rule 17);

(g)to enable interrogatories to be administered (on not more than two occasions) without a court order (rule 18);

(h)to strengthen the power of the court to penalise in costs a party who unjustifiably fails to make admissions of facts or documents (rules 19 to 21);

(i)to enable the court to require witness statements to be exchanged (rule 22);

(j)to make a number of miscellaneous amendments to the provisions relating to certificates of judgment, oral examinations, transfer of warrants and judgment summonses (rules 23 to 27); and (k) to amend the venue provisions relating to appeals under section 56 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (rule 28).