1.1

This Practice Direction applies to all claims in the Financial List.

1.2

All proceedings in the Financial List, including any appeal from a judgment, order or decision of a Master or District Judge before the proceedings were transferred to the Financial List, will be heard or determined by a Financial List judge, except that –

1.3

Provisions in other practice directions which refer to a Master or District Judge are to be read, in relation to claims in the Financial List, as if they referred to a Financial List judge.

1.4

The Admiralty and Commercial Registry in the Royal Courts of Justice is the administrative office of the court for all proceedings in the Financial List commenced in the Commercial Court and the Chancery Registry in the Royal Courts of Justice is the administrative office of the court for all proceedings in the Financial List commenced in the Chancery Division.

2.1

Claims in the Financial List must be issued in either the Chancery Registry or the Admiralty and Commercial Registry.

2.2

A claim form issued in the Admiralty and Commercial Registry must be marked in the top right hand corner “King's Bench Division, Commercial Court, Financial List” and a claim form issued in the Chancery Division must be marked in the top right hand corner “Chancery Division, Financial List”.

2.3

A claimant starting proceedings in the Financial List, other than an arbitration claim, must use practice form N1(CCFL) for Part 7 claims issued in the Commercial Court, practice form N1(CHFL) for Part 7 claims issued in the Chancery Division, practice form N208(CCFL) for Part 8 claims issued in the Commercial Court or practice form N208(CHFL) for Part 8 claims issued in the Chancery Division.

3.1

A party who intends to bring a claim in the Financial List must make any application before the claim form is issued to a Financial List judge.

3.2

The written evidence in support of such an application must state that the claimant intends to bring proceedings in the Financial List.

3.3

If the Financial List judge hearing the application considers that the proceedings should not be brought in the Financial List, that judge may adjourn the application to be heard by a Master or by a judge who is not a Financial List judge.

4.1

Rule 30.5 applies to the Financial List as a specialist list and applications for the transfer of proceedings to or from the Financial List must be made to a Financial List judge.

4.2

If an application is made to a judge other than a Financial List judge to transfer proceedings to the Financial List, the other judge may –

4.3

If a Financial List judge orders proceedings to be transferred to the Financial List, that judge –

4.4

A party applying to a Financial List judge to transfer a claim to the Financial List must give notice of the application to the court in which the claim is proceeding, and the Financial List judge will not make an order for transfer until satisfied that such notice has been given.

4.5

An application by a defendant, including a Part 20 defendant, for an order transferring proceedings from the Financial List should be made promptly and normally not later than the first case management conference.

4.6

In considering whether to transfer a claim to or from the Financial List and in addition to the criteria set out in rule 30.3 the court may have regard to the Guide to the Financial List.

5.1

Paragraphs 5 to 14 of Practice Direction 58 shall apply to claims in the Financial List in the same manner as they apply to claims in the Commercial Court.

5.2

Appendix A of Practice Direction 58 shall apply to claims in the Financial List, the “Registry” being the Admiralty and Commercial Registry for claims commenced in the Commercial Court and the Chancery Registry for claims commenced in the Chancery Division.

6.1

The Financial Markets Test Case Scheme applies to a claim started in the Financial List which is a Financial List claim and which raises issues of general importance in relation to which immediately relevant authoritative English law guidance is needed (“a qualifying claim”).

6.2

In such cases the Financial Markets Test Case Scheme enables the qualifying claim to be determined without the need for a present cause of action between the parties to the proceedings.

Proceedings in the Financial Markets Test Case Scheme

6.3

Where there is a qualifying claim a person who is or was actively in business in the relevant market may, by mutual agreement, issue proceedings against another person who is or was actively in business in the relevant market provided that other person has opposing interests as to how the law of England and Wales issue(s) raised by the qualifying claim should be resolved.

6.4

The claim form must indicate clearly that the claim is brought pursuant to the Financial List, Financial Markets Test Case Scheme.

6.5

Proceedings will be conducted in accordance with the procedure applicable to claims in the Financial List save that—