Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

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

(a)

convert references to imperial units into approximate metric eqivalents (rules 2 and 3);

(b)

revise the arrangements for the closing of court offices during the Christmas period providing for all offices (except, for this year those in the Royal Courts of Justice) to be closed On Christmas Eve (rules 4 and 5);

(c)

enable the Court to continue to appoint the Official Solicitor to be a guardian of a child’s estate in certain cases (rule 6);

(d)

extend the permissible scope of statements in open court to clear a party’s name in cases of defamation, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution (rule 7);

(e)

make some miscellaneous amendments consequential upon the enactment of the High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order (S.I. 1991/724) and the Family Proceedings Rules (S.I. 1991/1247) (rules 9 and 10), to reverse the rule on pleading to damages (rule 8) and to amend Form No. 110 so as to increase its efficacy for enforcement proceedings outside the jurisdiction (rule 11).