Public Law Outline:
Local Practice Note – Getting Back to the PLO on the South Eastern Circuit, was produced and circulated by Mr Justice Williams.
Sussex Protocol – a renewed focus on 26 weeks was produced by HHJ Bedford to supplement the Local Practice Note above and is approved by the SFJB.
Public Law Outline – Points for Improvement -HHJ Bedford September 2023 was produced by HHJ Bedford in September 2023 as an update to Sussex Protocol – a renewed focus on 26 weeks (above)
Experts
The Experts Protocol has been developed by the Sussex Family Justice Board to assist with the process of instructing experts to report within Care Proceedings. The Protocol takes into account the short time within which experts must report if the case is the conclude within the 26 week statutory timetable. The Protocol is endorsed by the Designated Family Judge for Sussex; it is a recommendation for best practice but is not compulsory.
The full details of the protocol, including templates, are available here.
Police Protocol in Public Law Proceedings:
Please find the link, by clicking to the new Sussex Police Protocol for use in public law (care) proceedings.
It clearly sets out what is expected of the police and how they will process applications for disclosure of material from them.
All practitioners should read this document to understand how to draft requests, which will assist the police in processing applications more quickly and efficiently. It is hoped that this work will mean that only the relevant material is sought/disclosed and that the Annex H is used more efficiently
The SFJB have set up a working group that are working on template orders to assist this approach- and hope to develop a protocol for private law proceedings as well.