Sheriff Appeal Court to allow email motions in civil cases

Practitioners involved in appeals to the Sheriff Appeal Court when it begins hearing civil cases in January are being offered a new facility to lodge motions to the court by email – but need to register with the court this week in order to do so.

From 1 January 2016, there will be the capacity to intimate, oppose and lodge motions in the court by email, which will also become the default method for lodging motions.

To use this facility, a single email address, to be registered with the court, must be provided to SACmotions@scotcourts.gov.uk by Friday, 11 December 2015. It should be the only email address to be used for this purpose and will be included in a list of email addresses to be published on the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service website for reference by other firms or parties. Motions received from, or intimated to, email addresses not registered on the published list will not be accepted.

Intimation and lodging of motions by email will allow the disposal of routine motions on the date of enrolment. There will be the facility to intimate motions and any opposition prior to the motion being enrolled; unopposed motions will be dealt with in four days rather than seven as at present. A motion will be intimated on day 1; opposition, if appropriate, by day 3; if unopposed it will be enrolled and determined on day 4. Where a motion is opposed it will be dealt with on the first suitable court day after day 4.

Interlocutors will also be issued by email.

It is possible to opt out of transacting motion business by email, by making a declaration in writing.

Click here for further information.