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Andrew Howell

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Author

Andrew Howell

Partner

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13 February 2020

Disputes Quick Read – 64 of 78 Insights

Disputes quick read: pilot error?

The Commercial Court has recently been mulling over feedback on the disclosure pilot, currently rolled out throughout the Business and Property Courts. The reception has apparently been positive, and we may see more permanent changes towards the end of this year. For now, we await formal publication of the feedback and any recommendations.

Our own experiences, though, have been more mixed. There is no question that disclosure risks getting out of hand in commercial cases: vast volumes of electronic material have long since added hugely (and often unnecessarily) to the costs of litigation.

But we wonder whether the (relatively) complex nature of alternative disclosure models is the way to go. All too often, we have seen the pilot lead to more costs and more time spent arguing about the generic approach to disclosure, rather than on specific documents related to the dispute. There are also issues with the timing of the steps under the pilot which, in large multi-party cases, can be challenging.

Perhaps it’s time to consider again the simpler model, used in other jurisdictions, where parties disclose in the first instance only those documents on which they rely. Further disclosure would then require a court application to show relevance.

In this series

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Failure to prevent fraud – a new offence?

14 August 2023

by Multiple authors

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Supreme Court rules that APP fraud victims cannot rely on Quincecare Duty

4 August 2023

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Disputes Quick Read: ClientEarth refused permission to pursue directors of Shell

1 June 2023

by Multiple authors

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CJC costs review – what will change?

1 June 2023

by James Bryden, Helen Robinson

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Embargoed judgments – dos and don'ts

16 May 2023

by Stephanie High

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Disputes Quick Read: New obligations on cryptobusinesses to report under the UK sanctions regime

9 August 2022

by Nick Maday

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Disputes Quick Read: New gateway for serving Norwich Pharmacal Orders and Bankers Trust orders out of the jurisdiction

Welcome news for those pursuing fraud claims in the English Courts

28 July 2022

by Emma Allen, Samantha Brendish

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Disputes Quick Read: Care required when drafting SPA claim notices

23 September 2020

by Multiple authors

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Disputes Quick Read: Tomlin Orders – ensuring the confidentiality of settlement terms

27 April 2020

by Multiple authors

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Disputes Quick Read: Commercial Court's arbitral power shift

21 February 2020

by Andrew Howell

Disputes & investigations

Disputes quick read: pilot error?

13 February 2020

by Andrew Howell

Disputes & investigations

Disputes Quick Read: Privilege waiver warning

2 July 2020

by Tim Strong, Georgina Jones

Disputes & investigations

Disputes Quick Read: Dealing in crypto? Be careful what you call it

7 April 2022

by Multiple authors

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