UK civil litigation timeline

Statutory deadline for review of personal injury discount rate in England & Wales to begin

Second Call for Evidence on the PIDR in England & Wales closed

Various amendments to the FRC regime come into force

Procedure for Determining Mental Capacity in Civil Proceedings consultation by CJC closes

Second Call for Evidence on the PIDR in England & Wales launched

Guideline hourly rates increase in accordance with the Services Producer Price Index

Procedure for Determining Mental Capacity in Civil Proceedings consultation by CJC launches

Second Call for Evidence on the PIDR in England & Wales expected

Annual Civil Justice Council National Forum event

Online civil money claims pilot extended from 30 November 2021

Fixed recoverable costs to be extended in England and Wales

MoJ publishes its response to the PIDR Call for Evidence launched in January 2023

CJC publishes its part one response on pre-action protocols

MoJ confirms mediation will become compulsory for cases allocated to the small claims track valued up to £10,000

Devolved administrations launch joint call for views on the PIDRs in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Sir Vos, Master of the Rolls, to report on the next review of guideline hourly rates.

CJC publishes its final report on its holistic costs review

Fundamental changes to the QOCS regime for claims issued on or after this date

ASHE 2022 revised data now available.

Ministry of Justice launches Personal Injury Discount Rate Call for Evidence

Ministry of Justice launches consultation on whether UK should become signatory to Hague Convention 2019 on recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments

Ministry of Justice roundtables on the personal injury discount rate in England & Wales

The Disclosure Pilot Scheme in the Business and Property Courts becomes permanent

Damages claims portal becomes mandatory for defendant legal representatives

Government launches consultation on increasing the use of mediation in the civil justice system

The Civil Justice Council (CJC) Costs Working Group launches costs consultation

Related item: Holistic costs review launched by the Civil Justice Council

Small Claims Paper Determination Pilot launched

Damages claims portal becomes mandatory for all claimant solicitors with any claim for damages in the County Court

Small claims limit increases from £1,000 to £1,500 for personal injury arising out of EL and PL claims

Government responds to Dispute resolution in England and Wales: Call for Evidence

Related item: Dispute resolution in England and Wales: the full power of technology yet to be unlocked

New guideline hourly rates come into force

Government responds to fixed recoverable costs consultation

Call for Evidence launched on the future of dispute resolution in England and Wales

Related item: More needs to be done to encourage the use of technology to facilitate settlement

Interim report on the court modernisation programme expected

QOCS applies in Scotland

Implementation of whiplash reforms and the Official Injury Claim portal

Introduction of the amended discount rate of minus 1.75% in Northern Ireland

Damages claims pilot launched

Practice Direct 57AC applies to witness statements in the Business and Property Courts

Consultation on increasing the jurisdiction of County Court in Northern Ireland

Related item: Proposed reform of County Court civil jurisdiction in Northern Ireland – striking the right balance

End of cost capping pilot in Business and Property Court for cases valued £100,000 to £250,000

Commencement of large scale user testing of the new ‘Whiplash Portal’

Discount rate in Scotland will continue at minus 0.75%

Commencement of the flexible courts hours pilot

New discount rate of minus 0.25% in force in England and Wales.
For more information on pre-2019 discount rates updates, see our discount rate timeline.

Consultation on extending the scope of fixed recoverable costs ends

Claims management companies enter FCA regulation

Consultation launched on extending fixed recoverable costs - horizontally and vertically to claims valued up to £100,000

Commencement of the first review of the personal injury discount rate

Post-implementation review of Part 2 of LASPO completed

Capped costs pilot begins in the Business and Property Courts for cases valued between £100,000 and £250,000

Civil Liability Act 2018 receives Royal Assent

Commencement of virtual online hearing pilot for default judgments

Post-implementation review of Part 2 LASPO commenced

Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 receives Royal Assent

Commencement of county court online pilot for money claims up to £25,000

Commencement of online county court pilot for money claims up to £10,000

Publication of Jackson’s Supplemental Report on Fixed Recoverable Costs

Publication of the Briggs Report: Civil Courts Structure Review

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012 receives Royal Assent

Claims Portal for RTA motor personal injury claims valued between £1,000 and £10,000 introduced

Publication of Lord Jackson’s Review of Civil Litigation Costs: Final Report