“1 Each of the respondents must, by 4 pm on Tuesday,31 March 2020 notify the court via email to the Judge’s clerk at [email address stated], and the claimants by email to their solicitors at [email address stated] if he / she / it intends to attend or be represented at the adjourned hearing of the claimants’ committal applications against the respondents listed for Thursday,2 April 2020 . 2 The claimants shall ensure that notice of the said adjourned hearing, if not already provided, and a copy of these directions is provided to the respondents by such means as may be reasonably practicable as soon as possible. REASONS: 3 The court’s practice is for committal hearings to be held as a physical hearing in a court room in the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, at least in a case where any respondent is expected to attend. 4 In light of the current Covid-19 problems, special arrangements would need to be made for such a hearing to occur. It is therefore necessary and/or desirable for the court to be informed in advance whether, in the present case, any of the respondents, none of whom attended the first stage of the hearing on26 February 2020 , intends to attend the hearing listed for Thursday,2 April 2020 . 5 Each of the respondents should clearly understand that if they do not attend the hearing then the court may proceed in their absence and that may result in orders being made in their absence for their committal to prison, and/or for permission for the claimants to issue writs of sequestration against them, and/or for other relief, including, but not limited to, costs orders.”
“[The discretion to proceed without a defendant] must be exercised with great care and it is only in rare and exceptional cases that it should be exercised in favour of a trial taking place or continuing, particularly if the defendant is unrepresented. In exercising that discretion, fairness to the defence is of prime importance but fairness to the prosecution must also be taken into account. The judge must have regard to all the circumstances of the case …”