Practice Note: Business and Property Courts in Manchester and Leeds

Business and Property CourtsPractice Guidance

The Hon Mr Justice Fancourt
Practice Note: Friday Application Lists

  1. This Practice Note revokes and replaces Practice Note: Business and Property Courts in Manchester and Leeds dated 26 May 2022.
  2. The default position for applications to be heard before s.9 Judges in Manchester and Leeds in Friday Applications lists in the Business and Property Courts is that they are heard in person unless, in the discretion of the Judge, a fully remote or hybrid hearing is considered appropriate. Any party seeking a direction that their application should be heard remotely or on a hybrid basis must apply at the earliest possible time by email marked “Urgent: Friday Application” to bpc.manchester@justice.gov.uk in Manchester or bpc.leeds@justice.gov.uk in Leeds for a direction. The email should be copied to any respondent, if the application is on notice.
  3. All other applications, hearings or trials in the Business and Property Courts will continue to be dealt with in accordance with the Chancery Guide (and section 4.3 of the Technology and Construction Court Guide and paragraph F3 of the Circuit Commercial Court Guide 2022), so that hearings of half a day or less will be presumed to be remote hearings, and longer hearings presumed to be in person hearings, but with the Judge having a discretion to direct otherwise.

Mr Justice Fancourt
Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster
Supervising Judge of the Business and Property Courts for the Northern & North-Eastern Circuits
October 2022