Source: http://difccourts.ae/rules-2/part-56-technology-construction-division/
Timestamp: 2017-10-24 03:48:44
Document Index: 569523967

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 56', 'art 7', 'art 8', 'art 43', 'art.\n56', 'art 26', 'art.\n56', 'art 21', 'art 22', 'art.\n56']

Part 56 — Technology and Construction Division - DIFC Courts
56.1 This Part applies to Technology and Construction Division claims (“TCD Claims”).
56.2 In this Part –
(1) A “TCD Claim” means a claim which—
(a) satisfies the requirements of Rule 56.3; and
(2) “Technology and Construction Division” has the meaning provided for by Rule 56.5.
56.3 A claim may be brought as a TCD Claim if it involves issues or questions which are technically complex. The following are examples of the types of claim which may be appropriate to bring as TCD Claims, but are not exhaustive and other types of claim may be appropriate to this specialist division:
(1) building or other construction disputes;
(2) engineering disputes;
(3) claims by and against engineers, architects, surveyors, accountants and other specialised advisers relating to the services they provide;
(4) claims by and against the DIFC or any DIFC Body relating to their statutory duties concerning the development of land or the construction of buildings;
(5) claims relating to the design, supply and/or installation of computers, computer software and related network and information technology systems and services;
(6) claims between landlord and tenant for breach of a repairing covenant;
(7) claims between neighbours, owners and occupiers of land in trespass, nuisance etc.;
(8) claims arising out of fires;
(9) claims involving taking of accounts where these are complicated; and
(10) challenges to decisions of arbitrators in construction and engineering disputes.
56.4 TCD Claims will be dealt with in the Technology and Construction Division, unless:
56.5 The Technology and Construction Division is a specialist division of the DIFC Courts.
56.6 A Judge will be appointed to be the Judge in charge of the Technology and Construction Division.
56.7 The Rules of the DIFC Courts and their Practice Directions and Registrar’s Directions apply to TCD Claims unless this Part or a Practice Direction provides otherwise.
56.8 A TCD Claim may be commenced using the procedure in Part 7 or Part 8, including Arbitration Claims under Part 43.
56.9 The claim form and all other Court documents relating to a TCD Claim must be marked “Technology and Construction Division”.
56.10 A party who intends to issue a TCD Claim must make any application within the claim form for determination by the Court whether it should be issued in the Technology and Construction Division.
56.11 The written evidence in support of such an application must state that the proposed claim is a TCD Claim.
56.12 The Court may order proceedings to be transferred to or from the Technology and Construction Division.
56.13 Where the Court orders proceedings to be transferred, it will give notice of that transfer to all the parties.
56.14 Rules 43.26 to 43.38 do not apply to Arbitration Claims that proceed as TCD Claims, save insofar as provided by this Part.
56.15 Part 26 (Case Management) applies to TCD Claims with the modification to Rule 26.1 that the Court will fix a Case Management Conference within 14 days of the earlier of these events:
(1) the filing of particulars of claim; or
(2) the date of an order transferring the claim to the Technology and Construction Division.
56.16 At the same time that the parties must file and serve Case Management Information Sheets under Rule 26.3, the Claimant, in consultation with the other parties, must file and serve a TCD Case Management Directions Form. A standard form of a TCD Case Management Directions Form is set out in Schedule A to this part.
56.17 The parties are encouraged to agree the directions to propose to the Court by reference to the TCD Case Management Directions Form. If any directions are not agreed the parties must explain on the TCD Case Management Direction Form the scope of the disagreement in respect of each direction that is not agreed and the reason for the disagreement.
56.18 If any party fails to file or serve the Case Management Information Sheet or the Claimant fails to file or serve the TCD Case Management Directions Form by the date specified, the Court may:
(1) impose such sanction as may be appropriate to further the overriding objective; and
56.19 In addition to the topics the Court is likely to consider at a Case Management Conference set out in Rule 26.35, in TCD Claims further topics the Court will consider are likely to include:
(1) whether any issues can be conveniently dealt with by a Court-appointed expert and whether ancillary orders may be necessary for the carrying out of inspections, the obtaining of samples, the conducting of experiments, or the performance of calculations;
(2) whether it would be appropriate and proportionate to make any interim orders for the preservation of evidence under Rule 25.1; and
(3) whether it would be appropriate and proportionate for elements of the claim (or any counterclaims or other additional claims under Part 21) to be set out by way of a Scott Schedule. A Scott Schedule is a table in which elements of the Claimant’s case are set out item by item and the Defendant’s response is set out in the adjacent columns. When the Court orders the production of a Scott Schedule:
(a) a Judge may give directions for the relevant column headings; and
(b) each party’s entries on the Scott Schedule must be supported by a statement of truth in accordance with Part 22.
56.20 If the Court fixes a date for a Pre-Trial Review, the parties must send to the Registrar and serve on all other parties completed TCD Pre-Trial Review Questionnaires not less than three days before the date fixed for the Pre-Trial Review. A standard form of TCD Pre-Trial Review Questionnaire is set out in Schedule B to this Part.
56.21 If any party fails to return or exchange the TCD Pre-Trial Review Questionnaire by the date specified the Court may:
56.22 The TCD Pre-Trial Review Questionnaire incorporates the Pre-Trial Checklist required under Rule 26.61.
56.23 At the Pre-Trial Review, the Court will give such directions for the conduct of the trial as it sees fit.
1. Trial date:
2. Estimated length of trial:
3. Directions, if appropriate, (a) for the trial of any preliminary issues or (b) for the trial to be divided into stages:
4. [ ] be added as a [claimant] [defendant] in this Claim.
5. This claim is to be [consolidated] [managed and tried with] claim no. [ ]
6. Further statements of case shall be filed and served as follows:
a. Defence and any counterclaim by 4 pm on [ ]
b. Reply (if any) and defence to counterclaim (if any) by 4 pm on [ ]
7. Permission to make the following amendments [ ]
8. Standard production of documents:
a. By 5 pm on [ ]
b. Specific directions in respect of electronic production of documents [where appropriate]
9. Parties to file and serve any Request to Produce by 5pm on [ ].
10. By 5pm on [ ],:
a. The parties shall file and serve any Objections to Requests to Produce; and
b. The parties shall produce documents responsive to any Request to Produce in respect of which no Objection is raised.
11. The Court will determine any Objections to Requests to Produce and issue any disclosure orders by 5pm on [ ].
12. There shall be a Scott Schedule in respect of defects / items of damage / other [ ]
a. The column headings shall be as follows [ ]
b. Claimant / Defendant to serve Scott Schedule by 5 pm on [ ]
c. Defendant / Claimant to respond to Scott Schedule by 5 pm on [ ]
13. Signed statements of witnesses of fact to be served by 5 pm on [ ] [Supplementary statements of witnesses of fact to be served by 5 pm on [ ]]
14. The parties have permission to call the following expert witnesses in respect of the following issues:
15. In respect of any expert evidence permitted under paragraph 13:
a. Directions for carrying out inspections / taking samples / conducting experiments / performance of calculations shall be [ ]
b. Experts in like fields to hold discussions in accordance with RDC 31.58 by [ ]
c. Experts’ joint memorandum pursuant to RDC 31.63 to be prepared and filed by 5 pm on [ ]
d. Experts’ reports to be served by 5 pm on [ ]
16. A court-appointed expert shall be appointed to report on the following issues [ ]
17. The following documents shall be provided to the court electronically or in computer-readable form, as well as in hard copy [ ]
18. A further case management conference shall be held on [ ] at [ ] am/pm. Time allowed [ ]
19. The pre-trial review shall be held on [ ] at [ ] am/pm. Time allowed [ ]
20. The above dates and time limits may be extended by agreement between the parties. Nevertheless:
a. The dates and time limits specified in paragraph [ ] may not be extended by more than [14] days without the permission of the Court.
b. The dates specified in paragraph 1 (trial) and paragraph 18 (pre-trial review) cannot be varied without the permission of the Court.
21. Costs [in the case].
[Note: this questionnaire should normally be completed with the involvement of the legal representatives instructed for trial] [SHORT TITLE OF CASE and CASE NUMBER]
A. DIRECTIONS COMPLIED WITH