The Hutton Committee have today released the new format Jackson bill for consultation. Here’s the introductory message from the chairman, plus links to the documents. CostsMaster hopes to fully support the new format in time for the voluntary practice direction in October.
“Dear all,
New Bill of Costs Project
We, the Committee appointed to make recommendations on a new bill of costs pursuant to the Jackson Report, are sending you the draft new bill of costs and guidance documents for consultation. You have been selected as people and organisations which have specialist expertise in this area, and/or have shown a particular interest in the J-Codes and the new bill of costs project. If you know of others who would be interested in this, please forward it onto them.
We are inviting comments/suggestions on the draft new bill of costs by 18.9.15. It is planned that there will be a Practice Direction in force from the start of October 2015 which will enable parties to use the new bill of costs in cases in the SCCO instead of the existing model (although at this stage there is no requirement to use the new bill, only that it is voluntary and you would not be in breach of the rules if you adopted it). The longer term plan at present is that there will be a pilot in all SSCO cases where there costs order giving rise to the right to costs has been made on or after 1st April 2016 where the new bill of costs will be the recommended form of bill in place of the existing model.
Please email any such comments or suggestions to alexander.huttonqc@hailshamchambers.com and david.nelson@pathfinderconsulting.com (both please) by 4pm on 18.9.15. Please do not expect an instant response from us as we will be collating comments together and considering them as a whole. But we value your help in hopefully improving the current draft of the new bill. Please also read the guidance documents carefully before you email as some of the answers to queries may well be in them.
Many thanks for your assistance and we look forward to hearing from you by 18.9.15.
Best wishes,
Alexander Hutton (Chair of the Committee)
David Nelson (Project Coordinator)
On behalf of the New Bill Committee”
2015-07-31 BoC Guidance Document (inc Appendices)
2015-07-31 BoC Final (Example Data)
2015-07-31 BoC Final (Blank Template)
2015-07-31 BoC Final (Print Version) (Example Data)