Common Law Motions List 1 – No ‘Second Calling’
It has been announced that, from Monday 8 March 2010, motions listed in his Monday motions list will no longer be put to ‘second calling’ if counsel or the solicitor dealing with the matter is not in court when the matter is first called. Applications for adjournments will not be permitted – if counsel is not present and the matter is not in a position to proceed, the motion will be struck out. Where one counsel is present and is prepared to await the arrival of the other side (in order not to take a colleague short), the court may still not allow the matter to go to ‘second calling’. Instructing solicitors should therefore stress to counsel that they must be present at first call of the list.
In addition, it has been directed that a fully paginated book of pleadings must be available on the day a motion is being heard.