(1) In this section "Act of 2004" means the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004.

(2) Section 8(1) of the Act of 2004 is amended by:

(a) the substitution of "one month from the date of the cause of action," for "2 months from the date of the cause of action, or as soon as practicable thereafter,", and

(b) the substitution of "the court hearing the action shall" for "the court hearing the action may".

(3) Section 14 of the Act of 2004 is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (4):

"(4A) Where there is a failure to comply with subsection (4), the court hearing the personal injuries action concerned shall -

(a) draw such inferences from the failure as appear proper, and

(b) where the interests of justice so require -

(i) make no order as to the payment of costs to the party responsible for the failure, or

(ii) deduct such amount from the costs that would, but for this subsection, be payable to the party responsible for the failure as it considers appropriate.".