2.2.5 Work Priorities and Case Allocation

Date Published

Sections, as well as individual examiners, must prioritise their work to ensure that statutory time limits are met and, within that constraint, comply with the targets or standards set down in the Customer Service Charter (see Customer Service Charter Timeliness Guidelines).  Sections and examiners should also ensure that obligations under any Service Level Agreements are met.

In the interests of efficiency, when an application is due to be examined and a particular examiner has already had substantial involvement with the case (for example conducting the international search of a national phase application, examining the parent of a divisional application or examining a family member), the case should be allocated to that examiner for examination.