In two series of reforms, The Woolf Reforms and The Jackson Reforms, control the process of proceeding by active case management (taking away the decision making and active case management from the parties) was to be handed to the Court to improve efficiency; and the costs would be made proportionate. Costs Budgeting was also introduced. It is generally agreed that both of these Reforms have had the opposite effect of increasing delays and increasing costs.
Two pilot schemes are now running and will continue to run until October 2017 in cases predominantly in the Chancery Division, Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court and the Mercantile Court. http://ow.ly/oXyp302o0Uv