Magistrates Court PD on ‘protected counselling communication’

The Chief Magistrate today issued Magistrates Court Practice Direction 3 of 2021 on ‘protected counselling communication’.

The practice direction applies “where it is likely protected counselling communications as defined in section 14A of the Evidence Act 1977 will be contained in documents intended to be obtained by subpoena … and where a party seeks to disclose, inspect or copy, produce, adduce evidence or use protected counselling communications…”