fast track

The fast track is the normal track for cases broadly falling into the £5,000 to £15,000 bracket, and which may be deposited of by a trial which will not exceed a day.  Cases falling into this track are most frequently heard in the County Court; special circumstances would need to exist in the cases for it not to be heard in the Court.

There are two factors for deciding whether the fast track is the normal track for defended cases that are not allocated to the small claims track.  The first factor is to the effect that the following cases will not normally be allocated to the fast track:

• personal injury cases with a financial value between £5,000 and £15,000;
• personal injury cases with an overall value under £5,000, but where the damages for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity are likely to exceed £1,000;
• claims by residential tenants for orders requiring their landlords to carry out repairs or other work to the premises where the financial value of the claim is between £1,000 and £15,000;
• claims by residential tenants for damages against their landlords for harrassment or unlawful eviction where the financial value of the claim is between £1,000 and £15,000;
• claims by residential tenants for damages against their landlords for harrassment or unlawful eviction where the financial value of the claim does not exceed £15,000; and
• other categories of cases where the financial value of the claim is between £5,000 and £15,000.

The second factor, disposal at trial, is to the effect that cases falling within the normal limits for allocation to the fast track must also be likely to be disposed of by a trial lasting no more than a day, and with oral expert evidence limited to experts in no more than two expert fields and to one expert per field of expertise. 

Usage: The County Court judge allocated the case to the fast track for an expeditious hearing.

Related Words: small claims track; multi-track; litigation; alternative dispute resolution; claimant; defendant; pleadings; claim form; overriding objective; particulars of claim; defence: litigation; reply to defence; account of profits; damages; delivery up; defence to counterclaim; Civil Procedure Rules; reply to defence to counterclaim; request for further information and clarification; pleadings; default judgment; set-off; counterclaim; cross claim; Chancery Division; Queen's Bench Division; High Court; cause of action; conflict of interest; summary judgment.