High Court shake-up sees creation of new Business and Property Division
The Chancery Division, one of the oldest parts of the High Court, is on its way out, replaced by a new Business and Property Division under reforms announced by the judiciary and backed by the government.
The new division will bring together all of the Business and Property Courts, which are currently split between the King’s Bench and Chancery Divisions, under one roof. Think commercial disputes, insolvency, intellectual property, construction and technology cases, all the big-ticket litigation that keeps City law firms ticking.
The Business and Property Division will sit alongside the King’s Bench and Family Divisions, rounding out the High Court’s top-level structure. The Chancellor of the High Court will take on the new title of President of the Business and Property Division.
The reforms are intended to make it easier for court users to understand where to bring their cases, and to strengthen the international standing of the Business and Property Courts, which already handle a large volume of cases involving international parties.
Subject to an Order in Council, the new division is expected to be up and running at the start of the next legal year.