Many of the changes are here to stay and those rolled out by the courts are no exception. Jonathan Peacock and Bryony Montandon of Augustines Injury Law examine current practice and official guidance relating to the use of e-bundles.
E-bundles are now required, often alongside hard copy bundles, for the majority of court hearings. We have responded by appointing 'Know-How E-bundle Experts’ at VWV to ensure we are complying with the new rules.
The court has issued detailed guidelines. These include but are not limited to:
As this is a new area, we also need to keep up with the regular developments, amendments and improvements to this process as directed by the courts. One example is the recent requirement to insert page numbers into bookmark labels (as well as the index), so that you are able to reference them at a glance instead of having to refer back to the index.
To comply correctly with the requirements, there are a range of software options specifically designed to create e-bundles. If programmed correctly, this software enables us to comply with all the courts' guidance with ease and allows us to adapt swiftly and easily to any required changes.
As a team, and a firm, we have found that there are many benefits that come from using e-bundles, compared to creating traditional paper ones. Most obviously, it saves a lot of printing and paper, which reduces cost and is good for the environment. However, it should be noted that the latest QBD Guide, published in February 2022, indicated that for hearings, a hard copy must be submitted unless otherwise ordered and if it is submitted alongside an electronic one they must match exactly.
Locating documents within e-bundles is almost effortless. With the use of hyperlinks and bookmarks you can find documents at the touch of a button. As the case develops and new documents come to light which need to be added or removed, it's now a very simple procedure, compared to before. We no longer have to reprint entire bundles as the page numbers have been slightly changed by the addition of a new document.
We have also found the new systems useful when collating documents for non-trial use, such as sending documents to counsel. Being able to send over one bundle via email is a very welcome alternative to shipping reams of paper over to chambers, and I'm sure counsel would agree.
This new practice is one of the new remote working arrangements which brings long overdue benefits which are here to stay but which will no doubt continue to evolve with experience.