Master of the Rolls and Lord Chancellor issue new Practice Direction on staying possession proceedings in response to coronavirus outbreak

Practice Direction confirms that all proceedings for possession, and proceedings seeking to enforce an order for possession by a warrant or writ of possession, are stayed for a period of 90 days from today

The Master of the Rolls Sir Terence Etherton and Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland have issued a new Practice Direction on staying possession proceedings in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Practice Direction 51Z (PD), which comes into force today, provides that all proceedings for possession brought under Part 55 of the Civil Procedure Rules, and all proceedings seeking to enforce an order for possession by a warrant or writ of possession, are stayed for a period of 90 days.

NB - claims for injunctive relief are not however subject to the stay.

Stop press - 20 April 2020 - Practice Direction 51Z has been updated to exclude certain kinds of matters from the automatic stay for 90 days, including claims against trespassers.

For more information, see 117th Practice Direction Update to the Civil Procedure Rules - Coronavirus Pandemic related from judiciary.uk