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03 December 2020 / Charles Kimmins KC , Andrew Dinsmore
Issue: 7913 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice
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CPR Pt 81: the new contempt of court roadmap

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Charles Kimmins QC & Andrew Dinsmore provide an overview of the changes to the contempt of court procedure ushered in by the new CPR Pt 81
  • The new CPR Pt 81 has overhauled the procedure for contempt of court for all applications on foot or commenced after 1 October 2020.
  • CPR Pt 81 does not change the substantive law in relation to jurisdiction for contempt of court.

The procedures for contempt of court applications were overhauled by the new CPR Pt 81 on 1 October 2020, which revoked the old CPR Pt 81 without any transitional measures pursuant to Civil Procedure (Amendment No 3) Rules 2020, (SI 2020/747), rules 1, 3 and 15. The latter states: ‘For Part 81 substitute Part 81 as set out in the Schedule to these Rules’. The Schedule contains the new CPR Pt 81 without reference to the old rules.

The UK explanatory notes state that: ‘The new Part 81 reduces the number of rules from 38 to 10 and dispenses with two [Practice Directions] and a Practice

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