What does Form F46 certify?
The Trial Certificate is not just a scheduling notice. Under the current Rule it confirms that the party will be ready to proceed on the trial date, that the examinations for discovery the party intends to conduct are complete, and states the current estimate of trial length. The current Rule also addresses the Trial Management Conference status.
Who files it?
Each party must file a Form F46 in the registry identified by the current Rule. After filing, the party must promptly serve a copy of the filed certificate on all other parties.
What if nobody files?
Unless the court otherwise orders, if no party files a Trial Certificate the trial must be removed from the trial list. A party who fails to file also faces a restriction on making further applications without leave of the court.
F46 is different from the trial record
The trial record under Rule 14-4 and the Trial Certificate under Rule 14-5 share the same general 14-to-28-day window, but they are different documents with different purposes. The party who filed the Notice of Trial bears the trial-record obligation, while each party has an F46 obligation.
Cost planning
If a party reaches the certificate window and is still missing discovery, expert evidence or major trial preparation, the cost problem is usually larger than the form itself. Identifying those gaps months earlier can prevent an expensive last-minute scramble.