Courts
The Network Court is the court of the Velocity Interoperability Network. It decides matters arising under the rules and standards of the Network and is administered by the Justice Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network. Its decisions bind the members and departments of the Network.
The Court was constituted on 6 September 2026 and sits in four divisions: a General Division, a Standards Division, an Enforcement Division and an Appeals Division. Each division has its own sitting days, and the Registry allocates a matter to a division when it is lodged. Alongside the Court, five tribunals decide certification, licensing, data protection, procurement and staff matters at first instance, with an appeal to the Appeals Division. The full list is on the Courts and Tribunals page.
Any member organisation or department of the Network may lodge a matter, and a party may appear without a legal representative. No fee is charged for lodging a matter or for a copy of a decision. The first sittings take place on 14 September 2026, and lodgements have been accepted since 6 September 2026.
What the Court hears
- Member disputes
- Disputes between two or more member organisations concerning their obligations under the rules of the Network, referred to the Court after mediation has concluded without agreement. They are heard by the General Division.
- Enforcement applications
- Applications by a Network department for an order requiring a member to comply with a rule or standard, or suspending a member's access to Network services until it does so. They are heard by the Enforcement Division.
- Standards questions
- Requests for a binding ruling on the meaning or application of a Network rule or interoperability standard where members disagree. They are heard by the Standards Division and do not require mediation.
- Appeals
- Appeals against decisions of Network offices, including the refusal or withdrawal of a certification, registration or licence, and appeals against the decisions of the five tribunals. They are heard by the Appeals Division.
How matters are lodged
Step 1: Confirm the matter is one the Court hears
For a member dispute, mediation through the Dispute Resolution Service must have concluded. Certification, licensing, data protection, procurement and staff matters are heard at first instance by a tribunal, not by the Court.
Step 2: Prepare a statement of the matter
Set out the parties, the rule or standard relied on, the facts in numbered paragraphs, the order sought and the documents relied on. Practice Direction 1 prescribes the headings to follow.
Step 3: Lodge the statement with the Registry
Send the statement to the Registry of the Network Court by email, together with the mediation certificate where one is required, and give the email address at which you are to be served.
Step 4: Acknowledgement and service
The Registry acknowledges the lodgement within five working days, allocates the matter to a division and serves the statement on the other parties within a further five working days.
Step 5: Response and reply
A party served has 21 days to respond, and the party that lodged the matter has 14 days from receipt of the response to reply. The Registry may extend either period on application.
Step 6: Timetable and hearing
The Court fixes a timetable for any further evidence and lists the matter for hearing on one of the sitting days of the division, unless every party consents to it being decided on the papers.
Step 7: Decision and publication
The decision is given to the parties and published in the register of decisions within ten working days, subject to any redaction of commercially confidential material.
What must accompany a statement of the matter
| Type of matter | Must be accompanied by | Period for lodging |
|---|---|---|
| Member dispute | Mediation certificate issued by the Dispute Resolution Service | No fixed period |
| Standards question | The text of the rule or standard and the competing readings of it | No fixed period |
| Enforcement application | The compliance notice and the correspondence with the member | No fixed period |
| Appeal from a Network office | The decision appealed against and the reasons given for it | 28 days from the decision |
| Appeal from a tribunal | The decision of the tribunal and a statement of the point of rule or standard relied on | 28 days from the decision |
Enquiries
Members in dispute with one another must attempt mediation before a matter is lodged. See Disputes for the stages of dispute resolution, the Rules of Procedure for the periods that apply at each step, and Decisions and the Register for how a decision is published and how a copy is obtained.
Enquiries to the Registry may be sent to contact@justice.gov.vin. The Registry cannot give advice on the merits of a matter or on how a statement should be argued.