The Future is Now – in Preston

In a blaze of publicity the Preston County Court has launched its six-month trial e-mail service to deal with applications, case management, case progression and dispute resolution. The service is designed to trial the use of e-mail by judges and parties in the resolution of interim applications without the need for parties to attend court. It may be used by any solicitor in England and Wales in connection with any proceedings conducted in the Preston County Court or Preston District Registry of the High Court. For on-notice applications all the parties must be represented by solicitors who have given their prior confirmation pursuant to CPR Practice Direction 6 para 3.3(3) that they are prepared to accept service by e-mail. The scheme is set out in a user guide and a protocol. The scheme has been devised in consultation with the Bar, the Law Society and the Court Service and has the approval of the three Heads of Division. It is an important foretaste of what is to come in courts throughout the land and another step towards the Utopian paperless trial.