Explanatory note

These Rules amend the Rules of the Supreme Court so as—

1. (a)

   to enlarge the definition of “cause book” (rule 2);

2. (b)

   to give procedural backing to the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980 (rules 3 and 4);

3. (c)

   to provide for the service of process under the Hague Convention on persons resident in independent Commonwealth countries, for the services of process on a State (as defined in section 14 of the State Immunity Act 1978) and for the recovery and enforcement against a State of a default judgment (rules 5 to 8);

4. (d)

   to permit the renewal of a writ of execution after its expiry (rule 9);

5. (e)

   to amend the rules regarding charging orders, consequential upon the implementation of the Charging Orders Act 1978 (rules 10 to 16);

6. (f)

   to end the use of foolscap paper in the Supreme Court for documents prepared after 1 January 1982 (rules 17 and 18);

7. (g)

   to modernise the procedure for service in England and Wales of process originating abroad (rule 19);

8. (h)

   to authorise proceedings in accordance with s. 85(7) of the Fair Trading Act 1973 to be begun by originating motion (rule 20);

9. (i)

   to provide for maintenance orders which are made in Scotland or Northern Ireland, and are registered in the High Court, to be re-registered in a magistrates' court, and for those which are registered in a magistrates' court to be re-registered in the High Court, as soon as section 3 of the Administration of Justice Act 1977 is brought into force (rule 21);

10. (j)

    to provide for the enforcement of High Court maintenance orders against persons resident in the Hague Convention countries (Czechoslovakia, France, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland) (rule 22);

11. (k)

    to make miscellaneous minor amendments (rules 23 to 27); and

12. (l)

    to make minor amendments consequential upon the introduction of the new form of writ (rules 28 to 31).