The Civil Court Users Association (CCUA) has responded to the Civil Procedure Rule Committee’s (CPRC) consultation on proposed amendments to CPR.
The CCUA supports steps which will enhance efficiency and productivity in the conduct of litigation in the Civil Courts in England and Wales and therefore, in principle, supports the proposed amendments to CPR, Part 6 and PD6AL, namely:
(i) Requiring those legal representatives who have confirmed that they are authorised to accept service on their client’s behalf to accept service by electronic means without the need for further confirmation of their consent to
that method of service; and
(ii) The removal of the reference in the rules to service by fax as the primary method of electronic communication.
However, the CCUA is concerned to ensure that there are no unintended consequences of such amendments and that practitioners are provided with an opportunity to review and amend internal processes so that any increased use of service by email does not lead to avoidable issues for the proper conduct of litigation.
