Three Supreme Court Practice Directions were amended and issued by Chief Justice Bowskill today.
Amendments have been made to Practice Direction 18 of 2018 (efficient conduct of litigation) and Practice Direction 9 of 2023 (Caseflow management list) to expand the powers of the Resolution Registrar.
A new paragraph 25 has been added to Practice Direction 9 of 2023, providing that “the Resolution Registrar has power, where it otherwise does not exist, pursuant to rule 452(2), to hear and decide an application for directions at a caseflow conference or review”. A provision in equivalent terms has been added to Practice Direction 18 of 2018 (paragraph 41).
The purpose of this amendment is to enhance the efficiency of the Resolution Registrar’s role, by enabling the Registrar to deal with procedural issues arising in the course of case management in a broader range of circumstances than is currently allowed. It is anticipated this amendment will also reduce litigation costs and avoid unnecessary delay from the perspective of the parties.
Amendments have also been made to Practice Direction 14 of 2023 (Wills and Estates List). They add provisions in relation to family provision applications (from paragraph 31 onwards, together with sample directions and forms of notice).
Whereas the remainder of the Practice Direction applies only to proceedings filed in or transferred to Brisbane, the provisions in relation to family provision applications will apply to all such applications filed in the Supreme Court (see paragraph 3).
Share this article