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On 1 October 2026, significant changes to the divisional structure of the High Court came into effect with the creation of the Business and Property Division. The new Division replaces the Chancery Division and brings together the work of the Business and Property Courts, which to date have been distributed across both the King's Bench and Chancery Divisions.
The changes were announced earlier this year (see FC Feature 2 June 2026) and are effected by the Senior Courts (Transfer, Amendment and Consequential Provision) Order 2026. The Order renames the Chancery Division as the Business and Property Division and transfers the Admiralty Court and Commercial Court to it from the King's Bench Division.
The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2026 make consequential changes to the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), including provision for the Technology and Construction Court and Circuit Commercial Courts to sit within the new Division. For ongoing proceedings, the rules provide that any claim, application, petition or appeal in an affected court shall proceed as if it had been filed or issued in (or transferred to) the appropriate court or list of the Business and Property Division. The 196th Practice Direction Update makes corresponding changes to the Practice Directions that supplement the CPR.
A BPD Practice Note: CE-File, title of proceedings and neutral citations confirms that CE-File will be updated on Monday 5 October and gives guidance for using it in the meantime.
FromCounsel's Q&A are being updated to reflect the new framework. We will continue to update Q&A as and when revised court guides, court forms and other materials are published.
First published on the R&I News Service on 30 September 2026
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