Private Funding of Legal Services Act, 2020

GRAND COURT PRACTICE DIRECTION No. 6A OF 2020 Grand Court Practice Directions (2024 Consolidation) Consolidated as at 31st December, 2023 GRAND COURT PRACTICE DIRECTION No. 6A OF FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION: PRACTICE DIRECTION MODIFYING STANDARD HEARING PRACTICE DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE Introductory

This Practice Direction is further to Practice Direction No. 6 of 2020 'Modifying Standard Remote Hearing Practice During Corona virus Pandemic Until Further Notice' issued by the Chief Justice on 9 April 2020.

Practice Direction No. 6 addressed the increased use of remote hearings and how the pre-existing practice will be modified. The present Practice Direction addresses the length of hearings and special accommodations for counsel and seeks to introduce a uniform approach in relation to hearings taking place in the Cayman Islands and significantly increased number of cases involving FSD Judges presiding by video-link from London.

Notwithstanding the latest changes to the Shelter-in-Place Regulations (SL 43 of 2020) which allow parties and their lawyers to attend court to fulfil legal obligations, because Government's social distancing policies are likely to remain in place for the immediate future, remote hearings will continue to take place unless there is a compelling reason for a hearing to take place in Court. Sitting times

A full day hearing will generally last no longer than 4 hours and a half-day hearing no longer than 2 hours. Subject of course to modification as the interests of justice may require, the standard Grand Court Practice Directions (2024 Consolidation) GRAND COURT PRACTICE DIRECTION No. 6A OF 2020 Consolidated as at 31st December, 2023 sitting hours for hearings lasting one or more full days will be as follows (all times are Cayman Islands time): • 8.30am-10.30 am:½ day • 10.30-11.00 am: break • 11.00am-l.00pm: ½ day. Special accommodations for counsel

Counsel may be presented with extenuating personal circumstances arising out of the Coronavirus Pandemic which impact on their availability for scheduled hearings. FSD Judges will be sensitive to the importance of confidentiality and will seek to make special accommodations for counsel, where the interests of justice will not be compromised, without requiring full particulars to be given of the matters concerned. 5 May 2020