Wales and Cheshire Region Practice Direction
The following guidance applies to all civil cases which, after allocation, are pending in the County Courts or District Registries of North Wales where arrangements may be made for trial at the Civil Justice Centre at Chester. The guidance is intended formally to implement existing practice.
1. In accordance with the policy set out in the Practice Direction relating to the use of the Welsh langauge, it is desirable that any case pending, after allocation, in the County Courts or District Registries of North Wales and invloving evidence to be given in the Welsh language should, where practicable, be tried in Wales. If for any reason any such case (whether fast track or multi track or whether in the High Court or the County Court) cannot be tried in Wales, then the case should be referred to the Designated Civil Judge for North Wales and Chester and to one of the Presiding Judges. No trial in that case should take place in a court outside Wales without the express consent of the Designated Civil Judge for North Wales and Chester and one of the Presiding Judges. The Presiding Judges should be provided with:
1. Detailed information about the case
2. The scope of the intended use of the Welsh language
3. Information about the views of the parties about the trial and the use of the Welsh language
4. The name of the Judge to hear the case.
Consent to the trial of a case outside Wales will be on the basis that it is heard by the Judge specifically nominated for that case; no other Judge should hear that case without a further reference being made to one of the Presiding Judges.
2. No Judge other than a Judge designated on the list provided by Circuit Administrator as approved to try cases in the Welsh language should try any case involving the use of the Welsh language, unless the consent of one of the Presiding Judges or the Liaison Judge for the Welsh language has been specifically obtained. 3. This guidance takes immediate effect.
The Hon. Mr Justice Thomas
The Hon. Mr Justice Richards
31 July 2000
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