1.1 In each region of HMCS outside London a small number of district judges (to be known as Regional Costs Judges) have been designated to carry out detailed assessments of bills of costs lodged in courts in their region in certain circumstances, upon the direction of the district judge sitting in the court where the bill was lodged (the originating court). 

1.2 The circumstances referred to in 1.1 are where (i) the estimated duration of the detailed assessment is more than one day; and/or (ii) the total amount claimed in the Bill of Costs exceeds £50,000; and/or (iii) complex arguments on points of law or an issue affecting a group of similar cases are identified in the Points of Dispute or Reply or are referred to in argument at an assessment hearing.

1.3 Where the circumstances in 1.2 apply a district judge of the originating court may direct that a detailed assessment do take place before a Regional Costs Judge.

1.     Procedure:

2.1  Upon a party requesting a detailed assessment of a bill of costs following receipt of points of dispute, the papers shall be referred to a district judge who, if any of the criteria listed at paragraph 1.2 above are met, may direct that the detailed assessment be carried out by a Regional Costs Judge.

2.2  Where such a direction is made, the request for detailed assessment and the documents lodged with the court in accordance with paragraph 40.2 of the Costs Practice Direction shall be referred to the appropriate Regional Costs Judge andthe parties shall be so informed.

2.3  The parties shall be notified of any direction given by the Regional Costs Judge as to the venue, date and time of the detailed assessment. The decision as to the venue for the hearing will be a matter for the Regional Costs Judge but it is anticipated that in most cases the hearing shall take place in the originating court.

In the event that the Regional Costs Judge decides that a hearing shall take place at a court other than the originating court, please note that the case itself shall not be transferred but shall remain at the originating court.

2.4  Where a detailed assessment has been referred to a Regional Costs Judge, the originating court shall keep him informed of any significant developments relating to the case, in particular should the case settle or the points of dispute be narrowed.

2.5  Except where paragraph 2.6 applies, any appeal from the decision of the Regional Costs Judge shall lie (with permission) to a circuit judge. In civil proceedings (other than family) such an appeal should be listed before the

Designated Civil Judge. In family proceedings such an appeal shall be lodged before a circuit judge of the originating court.

2.6  Any appeal from the decision of a Regional Costs Judge sitting as a district judge of a district registry of the High Court in a High Court case shall lie (with permission) to a High Court judge.

2.7  The practice of appointing assessors to assist judges hearing an appeal shall continue.

Note:

Be aware that allocation of cases to a Regional Costs Judge under this scheme is not automatic. Whether or not a detailed assessment is referred to a regional costs judge is a judicial decision.

Nothing in the scheme shall prevent a district judge from transferring a detailed assessment for hearing to the Supreme Court Costs Office in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Procedure Rules.

The Rules governing assessment of costs remain unchanged (CPR Parts 43-48).

NB: The above directions may have been amended since their introduction in 2005. The information on this site has not been updated to reflect any such changes. It is therefore advised that the relevant Regional Costs Judge be consulted in any live cases for information on the most up-to-date procedure.

Regional Costs Judges

The following is a list of those district judges approved by Lord Justice Dyson on 21^st June 2005 to sit as regional costs judges. There are no names of London district judges as all of the detailed assessments between parties in London are presently issued and heard at the SCCO.

 

Circuit	District Judge	Main court
Northern	Roger Smedley	Liverpool
	John Park	Carlisle
	Michael Turner	Blackpool
	James Heyworth	Burnley
	Jeremy Duerden	Bury
North-East	Sue Spencer	Leeds
	Ian Besford	Hull
	Robert Hill	Scarborough
Midland	David Millard	Nottingham
	Phil Mackenzie	Worcester
	Simon Middleton	Birmingham
Wales and	Rachel Evans	Newport
Chester	J Lloyd Davies	Carmarthen
	Andrew Wallace	Macclesfield
Western	Martin Dancey	Bournemouth
	Jill Wainwright	Exeter
	Richard James	Aldershot and Farnham
South-East	Patricia Pearl	Watford
(North)	Patrick Bazley-White	Ipswich
	Robert Sparrow	Norwich
South-East	Richard Matthews	Oxford
(South)	Chris Lethem	Tunbridge Wells

N.B The above list has not been updated since 2005 and there may well have been changes.