Regional costs judges

With effect from 14 November, a number of district judges known as regional costs judges have been designated to carry out detailed assessments of bills of costs lodged in courts in their region in certain circumstances, upon the direction of the district judge sitting in the court where the bill was lodged (the original court). The circumstances are where: (i) the estimated duration of the detailed assessment is more than one day; and/or (ii) the total amount claimed in the bill of costs exceeds to £50,000; and/or (iii) complex arguments on points of law or an issue affecting a group with similar cases are identified in the points of dispute or reply or are referred to in argument at an assessment hearing. Any appeal from the decision of a regional costs judge sitting in a county court shall lie (with permission) to a circuit judge. In civil proceedings (other than family) such an appeal should be listed before the designated civil judge. In family proceedings such an appeal shall be lodged before a circuit judge of the originating court. Any appeal from the decision of a regional costs judge sitting as a district judge of a district registry of the High Court in a High Court case shall lie (with permission) to a High Court judge. The practice of appointing assessors to assist judges hearing an appeal shall continue. Reference to a regional costs judge is not automatic but is a judicial decision. Nothing in the scheme shall prevent a district judge from transferring a detailed assessment for hearing to the Supreme Court Costs Office in accordance with the provisions of CPR. There are regional costs judges in the following courts: Liverpool, Carlisle, Blackpool, Burnley, Bury, Leeds, Hull, Scarborough, Nottingham, Worcester, Birmingham, Newport, Carmarthen, Macclesfield, Bournemouth, Exeter, Aldershot and Farnham, Watford, Ipswich, Norwich, Oxford, and Tunbridge Wells.