(1) The list of powers in this rule is in addition to any powers given to the court by any other rule, practice directions or any enactment.
(2) Except where these rules provide otherwise, the court may —
(a) adjourn or bring forward a hearing to a specific date;
(b) consolidate proceedings;
(c) deal with a matter without the attendance of any of the parties;
(d) decide the order in which issues are to be tried;
(e) direct a separate trial of any issue;
(f) direct that any evidence be given in written form;
(g) direct that notice of any proceedings or application be given to any person;
(h) direct that part of any proceedings (such as a counterclaim or ancillary claim) be dealt with as separate proceedings;
(i) dismiss or give judgment on a claim after a decision on a preliminary issue;
(j) exclude an issue from determination if the court can do substantive justice between the parties on the other issues and determines it would therefore serve no worthwhile purpose;
(k) extend or shorten the time for compliance with any rule, practice direction, order or direction of the court even if the application for an extension is made after the time for compliance has passed;
(1) give the conduct of any matter to any person it thinks fit and make any appropriate consequential order about costs;
(m) hold a hearing and receive evidence by telephone or use any other method of direct oral communication;
(n) instead of holding an oral hearing deal with a matter on written representations submitted by the parties;
(o) require any party or a party's legal practitioner to attend court;
(p) require the maker of an affidavit or witness statement to attend for cross-examination;
(q) stay the whole or part of any proceedings generally or until a specified date or event;
(r) transfer proceedings to the Family Court or the District or Magistrate's Court;
(s) transfer the whole or any part of any proceedings to another court office from the court office of one Member State, Territory or Circuit;
(t) try two or more claims on the same occasion;
(u) where there is a substantial inequality in the proven financial position of each party, order any party having the greater financial resources who applies for an order to pay the other party's costs of complying with the order in any event;
(v) where two or more parties are represented by the same legal practitioner —
(i) direct that they be separately represented,
(ii) if necessary, adjourn any hearing to a fixed date to enable separate representation to be arranged, and
(iii) make any consequential order as to costs thrown away;
(w) make an “unless order” specifying the consequences of any failure to comply with any rule, practice direction, or order;
(x) in special circumstances, on the application of a party, dispense with compliance with any of these rules; or
(y) take any other step, give any other direction, or make any other order for the purpose of managing the case and furthering the overriding objective.
(3) When the court makes an order or gives a direction, it may make the order or direction subject to conditions.
(4) The conditions which the court may impose include a condition —
(a) requiring a party to give an undertaking;
(b) requiring a party to give security;
(c) requiring a party to pay all or part of the costs of the proceedings;
(d) requiring the payment of money into court or as the court may direct; and
(e) that a party permit entry to property owned or occupied by that party to another party or someone acting on behalf of another party.
(5) In considering whether to make an order, the court may take into account whether a party is prepared to give an undertaking.