The Chief High Court Judge, Justice Geoffrey Venning, has released a practice note, The use of electronic common bundles and electronic casebooks in the High Court.

The practice note came into effect on 14 March 2019. It is to be read and interpreted consistently with the Senior Courts Civil Electronic Document Protocol 2019, which came into effect on 1 March 2019.

The practice note sets out guidance about when an order should be made for  a common bundle and/or casebook to be filed electronically in the High Court, and the default directions that apply.

It says that it is not intended to effect any change to the requirements of the HIgh Court Rules 2016 or the Criminal Procedure Rules 2012.

The 2019 practice note revokes the one issued in 2016. It makes the following changes:

• Definitions, clause 2.2 – the definition of casebook is now inclusive
• Clause 2.5 – the relevant case management conference is the one in which trial directions are made
• Default directions, 2.7(2)(b) – revises a reference to the Senior Courts Civil Electronic Document Protocol
• Default directions, 2.7(2)(d) – is new.  Parties who file and serve the bundle or casebook must ensure the software used is capable of accepting additional material that may be introduced during the trial.