Further courts added to public law children pilot and coronavirus Practice Directions extended

The Practice Direction update makes amendments to three Practice Directions: 

• FPR 2010, PD 36M (Pilot Scheme: Procedure for using an online system to generate, file and continue applications in certain public law proceedings related to children) is amended to add a further five courts (Derby, Oxford, Reading, Swindon and Truro) where use of the online system by local authorities will be mandated from 18 October 2021

• FPR 2010, PD 36Q  (Pilot provision: Modification of Practice Direction 12B—Coronavirus) is amended to extend the end date of the Practice Direction to the end of the day on 31 March 2022 (which may be further amended if the pandemic comes to an end sooner or later than that date) and comes into force from 15 October 2021 
• FPR 2010, PD 36R (Pilot provision: Modification of Practice Directions 2C, 5B and 12A—Coronavirus) is amended to extend the end date of the Practice Direction to 31 March 2022 (which may be further amended if the pandemic comes to an end sooner or later than that date) so that justices' legal advisers can exercise additional court functions and modifies FPR 2010, PD 5B so that certain documents relating to adoption proceedings can be emailed to the court and comes in to force from 15 October 2021