Practice Directions

1. This Practice Direction revises the scope of the Practice Note of the Lord Chief Justice made herein on 12th January 1994 and the Practice Direction of the Lord Chief Justice made herein on 29th July 1999.

2. It applies to any proceedings in which a party, whether by claim or counterclaim alleges that he/she has suffered personal injuries in the form of HAVS/VWF or any other injury to the fingers, thumbs, hands, wrists or arms caused or contributed to by exposure to vibration in the course of employment by one or more of the Defendants in or about a coal mine, and had not at 16th May 2003 lodged a letter of claim in the British Coal Corporation Vibration White Finger Litigation.

3. Any such claim made after 16th May 2003 is not subject to the Practice Note of 1994 and the Practice Direction of 1999 and/or any orders of the Court made in the British Coal Corporation Vibration White Finger Litigation.

4. Any relevant proceedings arising out of such a claim begun after 16th May 2003 should be commenced in the County Courts of either Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sheffield or Cardiff.

5. Any delay or increase in costs occasioned by the unjustified failure to comply with this Practice Direction may be taken into account on the assessment of costs.

Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales

By Lord Justice May, on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, pursuant to section 5 of the Civil Procedure Act 1997