Only one change to civil rules goes forward.

• Position: Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence reforms

While a number of substantive changes to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure were sent to Congress by the U.S. Supreme Court on April 24, only minor changes were approved by the Court to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence.

The amended rules will go into force on December 1, 1998, unless Congress alters them prior to that date under its powers pursuant to the Rules Enabling Act.

Although extensive changes to Rule 23, which deals with class actions, have been discussed, only one amendment has been sent forward at this time. The change adds a new subsection (f) to the rule to give the courts of appeals the discretion to authorize interlocutory appeals from district court orders granting or denying class action certification if the application for...