Amendment No. 5 of 2022 (Practice Directions 2021)

Amendments have been made to Parts IV, V, VIII, IX, XII, XIX, Appendix A1, Appendix B and Appendix C of the State Courts Practice Directions 2021. The amendments are summarised below:

1. amendments to Practice Direction 35 on The SMCL Process;
2. amendments to Practice Direction 36 on Simplified Process under Order 65 of the Rules of Court 2021;
3. amendments to Practice Direction 37 on General Process;
4. amendments to Practice Direction 39 on Personal Injury Claims and Non-injury Motor Accident (“NIMA”) Claims;
5. amendments to Practice Direction 40 on Medical Negligence Claims;
6. amendments to Practice Direction 41 on Claims in negligence (excluding medical negligence, personal injury and non-injury motor accident (“NIMA”) claims);
7. amendments to Practice Direction 45 on Assessment of Damages;
8. amendments to Practice Direction 48 on Applications in pending cases;
9. amendments to Practice Direction 52 on “Documents-only” Civil Trials and Assessments of Damages;
10. amendments to Practice Direction 58 on Witnesses;
11. amendments to Practice Direction 72 on Electronic filing of documents and authorities for use in Court;
12. amendments to Practice Direction 73 on Documents for use in trials in open Court;
13. amendments to Practice Direction 74 on Hearing in Chambers;
14. amendments to Practice Direction 84 on Appointment of agent to establish service bureau;
15. amendments to Practice Direction 91 on Filing documents through service bureau;
16. amendments to Practice Direction 92 on Filing of documents to the State Courts through a Supreme Court or Family Justice Courts service bureau;
17. amendments to Practice Direction 128 on Community Justice and Tribunals System;
18. amendments to Form 6 (Court Alternative Dispute Resolution (Court ADR) Form) of Appendix A1;
19. introduction of new Form 14A (Request for Permission to File Application) to Appendix A1;
20. amendments to Form 30 (Application for Records of Criminal Proceedings For Non-ICMS Cases) of Appendix A1;
21. amendments to Appendix B (Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims and Non-Injury Motor Accident Claims); and
22. amendments to Appendix C (Guidelines for Court Dispute Resolution Case Conferences for Personal Injury Claims and Non-Injury Motor Accident Claims).