Powered by Lexis+®
Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
CASE STUDY

“LexisNexis is great as I can find the answers I am looking for really quickly. I believe that nothing should be more than 6 clicks away - and the products from LexisNexis deliver on this standard”

Avensure

Access all documents on Track

Track meaning

What does Track mean?
In civil litigation, a track is the procedural route the court uses to manage a claim proportionately, determining timetable, evidence, trial length and recoverable costs. In England and Wales, “track” is a defined case‑management concept under the Civil Procedure rules (CPR Part 26). Defended claims are allocated—following the Directions Questionnaire and having regard to value, complexity, importance, number of parties, expert evidence and trial length—to one of four tracks: small claims, fast track, intermediate track and multi‑track. Allocation (and re‑allocation) has practical consequences for disclosure, expert evidence, case management directions, trial format and the applicable costs regime, including fixed recoverable costs in the fast and intermediate tracks and limited costs in the small claims track. Usage differs elsewhere. Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland do not operate a formal “track” system: courts manage cases through distinct procedural routes (for example, Scotland’s simple procedure and ordinary cause; Northern Ireland’s small claims, county court civil bills and High Court; Ireland’s small claims procedure and value‑based jurisdiction in the District, Circuit and High Courts). In those jurisdictions, “track” is a descriptive, not technical, term.
Speed up all aspects of your legal work with tools that help you to work faster and smarter. Win cases, close deals and grow your business–all whilst saving time and reducing risk.

View the related Checklists about Track

CHECKLISTS
Fixed recoverable costs for RTA portal and ex‑portal claims: CPR 45 checklist (fast/intermediate track; pre/post 1 Oct 2023; Apr 2024 uprating)—England and Wales

Note: As of 1 October 2023, the CPR has been updated to broaden the scope of fixed recoverable costs. These changes apply where the cause of action arises on or after 1 October 2023 (typically the accident date). For the version of Part 45 that applied before 1 October 2023, see: Can more than fixed costs be recovered? London weighting A 12.5% uplift to fixed costs applies if the claimant resides or works, and the instructed solicitor practises, within one of the London areas identified in CPR 45. Other circumstances For direction on other situations where recovery beyond fixed costs may be possible, see Practice Note: Fixed costs in road traffic accident claims. Children Distinct fixed costs apply to infant approval hearings, known as Type C fixed costs. The schedule for fixed costs under the Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury Claims in Road Traffic Accidents (the RTA protocol) appears at Table 10 in CPR PD 45. See Practice Note: Fixed costs in...

Read More Right Arrow
CHECKLISTS
RTA Small Claims Protocol (England and Wales): Scope, Exclusions, Portal Procedure, Whiplash Tariff (2025), Mixed Injury Damages, Evidence, Medical Reports, Offers and Liability

The Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims Below the Small Claims Limit in Road Traffic Accidents (RTA Small Claims Protocol) is engaged for collisions taking place on or after 31 May 2021. For RTA personal injury matters, the small claims track cap for general damages—covering pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA)—now stands at £5,000, save for exceptions in CPR 26.10 and CPR 26.11. The protocol is intended for situations where a person has sustained injuries in a road traffic accident (including, though not confined to, whiplash) and wishes to pursue compensation, provided the sum claimed for the injury does not exceed £5,000 and the value of the case does not exceed £10,000. It operates for claimants pursuing personal injury compensation from RTAs within these injury and overall value limits. For additional guidance on using the RTA Small Claims Protocol, consult Practice Note: The road traffic accident small claims protocol...

Read More Right Arrow
CHECKLISTS
Practitioners’ guide to Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 applications (England and Wales): jurisdiction, MIAMs, forms, standard and fast-track, FDR, orders, duration and variation

Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 Unless an application seeks only periodical payments (ie no capital orders at all), an application under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989) will proceed in accordance with the standard procedure. In the same way, where a party applies to vary an existing order, the fast-track route is available only where the variation concerns a periodical payments order and no form of capitalisation is requested. See Practice Note: Fast-track (shortened) financial remedy procedure. An application under ChA 1989, Sch 1 is issued in the Family Court and is allocated to a district judge. See Practice Notes: Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 and Issuing financial proceedings in Form A (standard procedure). This Procedural Guide is primarily focused on applications proceeding under the standard procedure. The pre-action protocol and the overriding objective contained in the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010) apply to applications under ChA 1989, Sch 1—see Practice Note: Financial proceedings—pre-application requirements—Pre-application protocol (FPR 2010, PD...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related News about Track

NEWS
Dispute Resolution Update: CPR PD 174 mediation, DCP guidance, key costs rulings, insolvency cross-claim injunctions, police duty of care, UKSC Rules 2024, BHP litigation, diary dates—24 October 2024

In this issue: Key DR developments Claims and remedies Costs and funding Cross-border disputes Injunctions Civil appeals New content Dates for your diary Useful information Daily and weekly news alerts Key DR developments CPR updates 174th Practice Direction update effective 5 November 2024: The Master of the Rolls and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice have authorised the 174th Practice Direction (PD) update to the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR). The changes take effect at 11am on 5 November 2024. This PD update amends CPR PD 51ZE (Small Claims Track Automatic Referral to Mediation Pilot Scheme) and CPR PD 51R (Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) Pilot Scheme), expanding the obligation to engage in integrated mediation in civil matters to money claims submitted via the OCMC service. For more information, see: LNB News 22/10/2024 127—174th Practice Direction update—in force 5 November 2024. Court guidance Damages Claims Pilot under CPR PD 51ZB—updated guidance:...

Read More Right Arrow
NEWS
HMRC brings UK’s first corporate failure-to-prevent tax evasion case: Bennett Verby prosecution will test Criminal Finances Act 2017 s45, proof hurdles and the ‘adequate procedures’ defence

A UK accountancy practice’s imminent prosecution for failing to stop tax evasion has thrown a spotlight on the country’s weak track record on enforcement, across this area of compliance, though the proceedings may galvanise a renewed push. Bennett Verby, which operates in northern England, is due to stand trial in September 2027, marking the first corporate case for failing to prevent tax evasion since the offence reached the statute book eight years ago. HMRC, the UK tax authority, has recently charged Bennett Verby with failing to prevent the facilitation of UK tax evasion under section 45 of the Criminal Finances Act 2017. Company representatives appeared before a Manchester court earlier this month. No plea has been entered yet, but the firm will reportedly contest the claims. The failure to prevent tax evasion offence was enacted with fanfare eight years ago, in the wake of the 2016 Panama Papers offshore finance scandal and the preceding Swiss Leaks revelations a year earlier, which alleged that companies had assisted wealthy individuals to avoid...

Read More Right Arrow
NEWS
PRA to introduce 10-day accelerated pathway for catastrophe bond ISPVs and expand UK ILS regime, aligned with Solvency II reforms effective 31 December 2024

ISPVs enable insurers to reduce their exposure to significant events, including natural catastrophes, by passing risk to private investors via catastrophe bonds, or 'cat bonds'. Shoib Khan, the central bank’s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) director for insurance supervision, said the PRA will outline later this year how it plans to shorten approval times for submitted cat bond applications to ten working days, down from the current four to six weeks. Speaking at the Bank of America Securities Annual Financials CEO Conference, Khan added that the PRA intends to consult later this year on creating a new, accelerated pathway for catastrophe bond applications...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Practice Notes about Track

PRACTICE NOTES
Witness evidence in civil litigation: selection, interviewing, vulnerability, statements, intermediaries, confidentiality and trial assistance under CPR (England and Wales)

This Practice Note looks at the tasks of pinpointing and interviewing potential witnesses, working with them on their witness statements, and supporting them to give evidence in court. For direction on preparing trial witness statements in the Business and Property Courts, see Practice Note: Trial witness statements in the Business and Property Courts under CPR PD 57AC. It should also be read alongside Practice Note: Courts’ power to manage factual evidence, which explains the courts’ authority to control factual evidence under CPR 32.1 and CPR 32.2(3). Choosing witnesses Witness testimony at trial can be decisive for the success or failure of a claim or the defence of it. This Practice Note outlines how to collaborate effectively with a witness when preparing such evidence. Importance of planning witness evidence In claims that turn mainly on facts, outcome may hinge on whether a particular witness is regarded as credible by the court. Securing witness evidence should be considered at a very early point in the proceedings...

Read More Right Arrow
PRACTICE NOTES
TPR pensions investigations and enforcement in the UK: notifiable events, whistleblowing, information powers, searches, internal investigations, evidence handling and legal privilege

The Pensions Regulator’s scheme management enforcement strategy explains its approach to compliance and enforcement across defined benefits funding, defined contribution and public service pension schemes, while also describing the outcomes TPR may pursue and the means by which it could achieve them, all to strengthen safety and security for pension savers. Its prosecution policy and broader enforcement strategy set out the principal aims of its enforcement activity and give insight into the framework TPR applies when deciding which cases to take forward for enforcement action. Initial considerations in TPR investigations In its capacity as the UK regulator for work-based pension schemes, TPR has a suite of information-gathering powers to identify and track risks and to obtain evidence to support criminal prosecutions. These include: requiring reports of breaches of the law and notifiable events requiring reports prepared by skilled persons on specified issues compelling trustees and employers to provide documents and other information the power to inspect premises For more...

Read More Right Arrow
PRACTICE NOTES
Technology and Construction Court (TCC) case management: a practical guide to CPR 60/PD 60 and the TCC Guide—directions, disclosure, costs, CMCs, PTRs and trial logistics (England and Wales)

This Practice Note This Practice Note examines how case management is conducted in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), by reference to the provisions of CPR 60, CPR PD 60, and the Technology and Construction Court Guide. As these materials supplement the general provisions found elsewhere in the CPR, it should be read together with wider guidance on case management, in particular: the court’s array of case management powers under CPR 3, and case management more generally—see Practice Note: Case management of civil claims under the CPR, and Case management—checklist multi-track case management—see Practice Notes: Multi-track—case management, and Multi-track—case management conference (CMC) the significance and importance of complying with rules, practice directions and court orders, together with practical pointers to assist—see Practice Note: Case management—compliance As the TCC forms part of the Business and Property Courts, also consult Practice Note: Business and Property Courts, which provides guidance on the procedure to be followed when issuing and managing claims in the Business...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Precedents about Track

PRECEDENTS
Precedent and worked example: personal injury schedule of loss (multi-track), including Ogden multipliers, pension loss and 0.5% discount rate—England and Wales

[ AT THE COUNTY COURT AT [ INSERT ] OR IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE ] [ [ SPECIFY DIVISION ] ] [ DISTRICT REGISTRY AT [ INSERT LOCATION ] ] Claim No: Between [ Insert name ] Claimant and [ Insert name ] Defendant ________________________________________________ SCHEDULE OF LOSS CALCULATED TO [ INSERT DATE OR INSERT THE DATE OF TRIAL ] ________________________________________________ Note On 2 December 2024, the Lord Chancellor declared that the discount rate would move to positive 0.5%. This positive 0.5% rate comes into effect on 11 January 2025. Schedule A1 to the Damages Act 1996 stipulates that later reviews are to occur within five years of the end of the preceding review, which means the next review must start on or before 2 December 2029. The Claimant reserves the ability to revise, amend, or supplement this schedule at any point up to and including trial. A....

Read More Right Arrow
PRECEDENTS
Defendant’s Counter-Schedule of Loss (Multi-track): Personal Injury Precedent (England and Wales)

[ IN THE COUNTY COURT AT [ INSERT ] OR IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE ] [ [ SPECIFY DIVISION ] ] [ [ SPECIFY SPECIALIST COURT ] ] [ [ INSERT LOCATION ] DISTRICT REGISTRY ] Claim No: Between [ A B ] Claimant and [ X Y ] Defendant ______________________________________________ COUNTER SCHEDULE OF LOSS ______________________________________________ The Defendant retains the right to vary, revise or supplement this Counter Schedule of Loss at any time up to and including the trial. PAST LOSSES 1 Previous loss of earnings (i) Loss of earnings to [ insert date eg 26 February 2019 ] are accepted in the pleaded claim at £[ insert amount ]. (ii)–(iii) Loss for the period [ insert date eg 26 February 2019 ] to [ insert date eg 25 August 2019 ] is not admitted. As a matter of principle, the Defendant accepts that it may take time to secure work of equivalent remuneration. However, the Claimant’s evidence does...

Read More Right Arrow
PRECEDENTS
Precedent Claims Register (Excel): Recording Ongoing Claims and Tracking Litigation Risk

Use this template to maintain a log of all continuing claims facing the company to monitor and keep track of...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Q&As about Track

Q&As
EL Multi-track: Adjourned Amend Defence/Part 18—Witness Evidence, Breach and Extension Refusal

At the heart of the query lies the status of a party who does not adhere to a court direction, yet has lodged an application to extend the time for compliance before the expiry of the deadline attached to that direction. On the scenario set out, the claimant will be in breach of the court order concerning the exchange of witness statements in two weeks’ time, because that order will not have been varied before the deadline for compliance under that order...

Read More Right Arrow
Q&As
Brexit: Passporting and Equivalence Impact on UK Insurance Sector

BREXIT At 11pm (GMT) on 31 December 2020—known as ‘IP completion day’—the transition/implementation period entered into following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU came to a close. From that point onwards, key transitional arrangements came to an end and wide‑ranging changes started to take effect across the UK’s legal regime. This document provides guidance on subjects affected by these changes. Before continuing your research, see: Brexit and financial services: materials on the post‑Brexit UK/EU regulatory regime [Archived]. This Q&A assesses the impact of Brexit on passporting in the insurance sector, outlines the options available to insurers to continue to access the European Economic Areas (EEA), and highlights the factors for insurers to take into account in their contingency planning. This Q&A is produced in partnership with Clare Swirski at Clifford Chance. What are the main aspects of passporting under Solvency II?...

Read More Right Arrow