IPEC Small Claims Track transferred to Manchester

Cases filed in the Small Claims Track (SCT) of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) will be processed in Manchester from next month.

The details were set out in the following practice note issued by the Presiding Judge of IPEC, HH Judge Hacon:

From 3 July 2023, all claims filed either on CE File or in person at the Rolls Building in London will be transferred to Manchester. The district judge at Manchester Civil Justice Centre will handle management of these cases. Trials will either take place in person or via video link with the Manchester court.

Parties can request to move their claim from Manchester to another court to handle IPEC SCT cases if needed. The relevant centres outside London are Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle.

It follows that IPEC SCT trials pursuant to a claim filed on CE File or in person at the Rolls Building from 3 July 2023 will only be heard in London if transferred from Manchester. Claims will only be transferred to London for case management or trial if there are good reasons to do so, in particular where there is a need for a trial in person and potential difficulty in having a trial in Manchester.

There will be no change to IPEC SCT claims filed in any of the centres outside London. These will be case managed, and trials will be heard at the place of filing unless transferred elsewhere.

There will be no change to IPEC SCT claims filed before 3 July 2023. Where filed on CE File or at the Rolls Building, they will be dealt with by District Judges of the County Court at Central London unless transferred elsewhere.

None of the foregoing affects claims filed in the IPEC Multi-Track.

If CIPA members have any questions, please email [email protected]  to be put in touch with Alasdair Poore, the CIPA representative on the IPEC Users’ Committee.  Alternatively, members may contact Judge Hacon via his clerk.

Published date: 15 June 2023