What Is a Court Bundle?
A court bundle is a paginated collection of documents that the court and parties will refer to during a hearing. Under PD 39A, trial bundles must be lodged with the court 3-7 days before trial.
Contents
A typical bundle should contain:
Claim form and statements of case
Case management orders and directions
Witness statements
Expert reports (if any)
Disclosed documents referred to in statements
Relevant correspondence
Skeleton arguments
Authorities bundle (separately if large)Format Requirements
Paginate continuously — Every page must be numbered
Include an index — List every document with its page number
Tab dividers — Separate major sections
Chronological order — Within each section
A4 format — Single-sided unless the court directs otherwise
No duplicates — Each document should appear only onceTips
Agree the bundle contents with the other side if possible
Include only relevant documents
Flag key passages with highlighting (not obscuring the text)
Ensure all documents are legible
Keep the bundle to a manageable size