It has been brought to the court’s attention that court users are asking court staff in particular court ushers to copy documents such as statements prior to hearings taking place.
Can all court users please note that copies of documents will be provided without charge but only on the direction of a Judge e.g. directing the court to copy draft orders that has been approved following a hearing taking place. If the court staff receive a request to copy a document such as a statement where the Judge has not directed the court to supply, the court will charge the appropriate court fee in accordance with the county court fees order which for the avoidance of doubt is outlined below:-
- Ø £5 charge for one and ten pages of any documents
- Ø £0.50p for each subsequent page of the same document
There is no facility on the hearing floors for the court ushers or clerks to account for these fees.
In the circumstances, if you need copies of documents that have not been ordered by the Judge, you will be required to attend the Public Counter on the ground floor to offer payment and obtain copies. Cheques are made payable to “HMCTS”;
We appreciate that this may cause difficulties particularly if copies are needed for pending hearings so the court would encourage you to ensure you have sufficient copies or have exchanged all necessary documents with the opposing party before attending the Bristol Civil Justice Centre.