July 3, 2017

On 3 May it was announced that Mr Justice Warby, the Judge in Charge of the Media and Communications List, would be consulting practitioners and other court users on a small number of procedural questions. The stated intention was to publish the results of the consultation and to consider whether any action is required in the light of the responses and any other relevant considerations.

The consultation period ended on 31 May 2017. The responses have now been analysed, and the report sets out the main conclusions and next steps. Warby J concludes that: “A wide range of detailed and specific proposals has been put forward for changes to the procedural regime affecting cases of the kinds dealt with in the Media and Communications List.”

Accordingly, Warby J says that the next step must be to convene a meeting of users of the Media and Communications List. A meeting will therefore be convened at the Royal Courts of Justice on a date to be announced during the Michaelmas Term of 2017. An Agenda will be drawn up and circulated in advance. It will include as one item for discussion the formation of a Users Group Committee, which was favoured by many respondents. To access the report, click here.