Practice direction

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (July 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

In English law, a practice direction is a supplemental protocol to rules of civil and criminal procedure in the courts – "a device to regulate minor procedural matters"^[1] – and is "an official announcement by the court laying down rules as to how it should function."^[2] The Civil Procedure Rules 1998 contains a large number of practice directions which give practical advice on how to interpret the rules themselves. Also, individual courts and judges may make their own practice directions, especially in specialist types of proceedings such as in the patent court.

A famous example of a practice statement occurred in 1966 when the House of Lords declared itself able to depart from its own precedent decisions in order to achieve justice.

• Practice directions on Her Majesty's Courts Service website
• Civil procedure rules and practice directions
• The consolidated criminal practice direction

This England-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This article relating to law in the United Kingdom, or its constituent jurisdictions, is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e