SKELETON ARGUMENTS: GET THE FONT SIZE RIGHT, AND THE LENGTH CORRECT: OR IT COULD COST YOU

The Administrative Court Clerks Users Group has sent out an email to many chambers in relation to the format of skeleton arguments.  If you did not receive this it is worth reading.

THE EMAIL: SIZE AND FONTS OF SKELETON ARGUMENTS

“Dear All
Slightly outside of our remit, however trying to relay important information to as many of you as possible.
Please be aware and more importantly make your members aware, that skeleton arguments lodged in the Court of Appeal, that don’t meet with the proper criteria of being, “not less than 12 point font” which also includes the footnotes, will not be accepted. This will result in an application (N244) having to be made, at a cost of £528, in which to correct the situation to enable this to be re-lodge but out of time.
 https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part52/practice-direction-52c-appeals-to-the-court-of-appeal
PD 52C, para.31(1)(b)

Skeleton argument

31.

(1) Any skeleton argument must comply with the provisions of Section 5 of Practice Direction 52A (and in particular must be concise) and must in any event–

(a) not normally exceed 25 pages (excluding front sheets and back sheets);

(b) be printed on A4 paper in not less than 12 point font and 1.5 line spacing (including footnotes);

(c) be labelled as applicable (e.g. appellant’s PTA skeleton, appellant’s replacement skeleton, respondent’s supplementary skeleton), and be dated on its front sheet.”

 

ADDENDUM: ERRATIC ENFORCEMENT – BUT IT DOES HAPPEN

Barrister Ben Williams noted on Twitter that

“The Civil Appeals Office has (albeit erratically rather than consistently) been rejecting skeletons where even a single footnote is not in 12 point or is single spaced, and requiring formal applications for relief from sanction.”

THE EVIDENCE

 Barrister Jeffrey Jupp kindly sent me photographic evidence.  NB the issue here was the footnotes and indented notes being single lined spaced.