Online CE-File system must be used for submitting documents from today
A new practice direction was issued yesterday by Sir Keith Lindblom, the Senior President of Tribunals, regarding the electronic filing of documents for the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the Upper Tribunal.
The practice direction can read below or downloaded here.
The practice direction applies to all proceedings in the Upper Tribunal's Immigration and Asylum Chamber and it specifies that HM Courts & Tribunals online E-filing service, known as CE-File, must be used for submitting documents from today onwards.
It also specifies how documents should be provided to the Tribunal using CE-File.
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Practice Direction of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the Upper Tribunal
Electronic filing – CE-File
1. This practice direction applies to all proceedings in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the Upper Tribunal ("the Tribunal") including applications for judicial review. References in this practice direction to numbered rules are to the rules so numbered in the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008.
2. CE-File is the online system for filing documents electronically at the Tribunal. It is the "secure portal" referred to in rule 13(1)(ba), and as such it may be used by any party to provide documents to the Tribunal.
3. On or after 1 September 2023 any document provided to the Tribunal by a party who:
a) is represented in the proceedings by a person who is a representative for the purposes of rule 11; or
b) is a body amenable to judicial review;
must be provided using CE-File, unless the document is an application for urgent consideration as defined in the relevant Practice Direction on Immigration Judicial Review in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
4. Users must register to use CE-File.
5. Any document which is provided to the Tribunal using CE-File must—
a) consist of one copy only unless a rule or practice direction requires otherwise;
b) be in PDF format unless the document is a draft order, in which case it shall be in "Word" format;
c) not exceed 50 megabytes or such other limit that may be specified by His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service; and
d) be categorised or labelled as to the type of document that it is (e.g. "Application", "Claim Form", "Witness Statement") and numbered sequentially.
6. Any electronic bundle which is provided to the Tribunal must be prepared in a way that complies with guidance issued by the Chamber President.
7. CE-File cannot be used to provide documents to another party. Documents which are required to be provided to another party must be sent or delivered to that party by another method permitted under rule 13.
8. The requirement to use CE-File will cease if a matter is transferred to another tribunal in which the use of CE-File is not mandatory.
This practice direction is made by the Senior President of Tribunals with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor under section 23 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
Sir Keith Lindblom
Senior President of Tribunals
31 August 2023