As part of HMCTS’ ongoing improvement work, it is exploring the possibility of using automation to process Writs of Control electronically. HMCTS has found that updating the formatting of the Writ of Control Form No.53 is essential for accurate automated processing.

The Writ of Control, Form No. 53, has been updated and approved by the Civil Procedure Rules Committee, Forms Sub-Committee for approval. This update involves a formatting change only, converting the document from Word to PDF. The content of the form remains the same.

A copy of the new version of the form is available via gov.uk here.

Court users can now choose to use either the new PDF version or the old Word version of
the form. Courts processing the applications will accept either version, as long as they are
completed in accordance with the Rules. The new form will be required for any future enhancements to the courts administrative process.