Explanatory note

These Rules amend the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981 (S.R. 1981 No. 225) to –

• provide a new Appendix 2 which includes 3 additional new bands in Table 1 from £15,000 - £30,000; an amendment to the fee for additional day hearings; a new fee for drafting interrogatories and answers to interrogatories in cases of particular complexity; a reduction in fee bands from 8 to 4 and 3 additional new bands from £15,000 - £30,000 where no notice of intention to defend is served; and otherwise increase costs over a two year period (2% in 2013 with a further 2% increase to take effect in 2014);

• allow the plaintiff to require the defendant to serve particulars of defence;

• require the plaintiff to notify the defendant in writing of his intention to lodge the certificate of readiness no later than 14 days prior to lodging the certificate;

• allow interlocutory applications to be determined by a judge without a hearing in the absence of a specific provision to the contrary;

• allow district judges’ to deal with interlocutory applications which fall within their jurisdiction;

• provide that discovery is automatic;

• allow interrogatories to be served without leave;

• provide rules on evidence in clinical negligence cases; and

• allow a district judge to exercise the same powers as a county court judge in specific circumstances.