A new Supreme Court practice direction, operational from mid-April, introduced the issuing of a 'statement of case', setting out the court’s understanding of the relevant facts and issues.

The first three cases deploying that new procedure are due for hearing this week, and next.

Designated judge

Six cases have been identified for hearing in subsequent weeks, with an individual judge designated in each case to ensure that the appeal will be made ready for a remote hearing under the new procedure.

All parties have been contacted with a view to progress case management to that end.

Seven cases have been identified for measures to ensure that they can be made ready for hearing under the new procedure before the end of July.

Litigants in person

The Supreme Court is also weighing up how the limited number of cases involving litigants in person should be managed.

The goal is that all cases for which leave to appeal was granted before the end of April, will have been heard by the end of July.