UK civil litigation timeline

Online civil money claims pilot extended from 30 November 2021

End of disclosure pilot in Business and Property Court

Fixed recoverable costs to be extended in England and Wales

Damages claims portal becomes mandatory for defendants

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

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

Horizontal and vertical extension of the Claims Portal to include RTA claims and EL and PL claims between £1,000 and £25,000

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