Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service has released an update today (03 August 2020) regarding priority listings in the County Court, as follows:

Priority 1 – work that must be done:

  • Committals; 
  • Freezing Orders; 
  • Injunctions (and return days for ex-parte injunctions); 
  • The emphasis must be on those with a real time element (such as post-termination employment restrictions), noise or interference with property;
  • Anti-Social Behaviour/Harassment injunctions (not ancillary to possession);
  • Production of persons in custody following Power of Arrest detentions;
  • Applications to displace under s 29 of MHA;
  • Homelessness Applications;
  • Enforcement work that does not involve bailiffs, such as third-party debt orders (particularly hardship payments); 
  • Any applications in cases listed for trial in the next three months; 
  • Any applications where there is a substantial hearing listed in the next month;
  • All Multi Track hearings (including trials) which the judge considers to be i) urgent and ii) suitable for hearing (either remotely or in a physical hearing); and
  • Appeals in all these cases.

 Other Work Which Should Be Done

All other applications/hearings/trials which (subject to staff support and listing capacity) the judge considers i) should be heard, and ii) suitable for hearing (either remotely or in a physical hearing). 

Civil work in the Court of Appeal is subject to separate guidance and civil work carried out within the Queen’s Bench Division and Business & Property Courts of England and Wales is covered by the High Court Contingency Plan. The work of the Business and Property Courts outside of London (District Registries) is being dealt with on a case-by-case basis and is also excluded from these lists.