The Business and Property Courts District Registries

Chancery business outside the Rolls Building

Outside the Rolls Building there are seven Business and Property Courts (B&PCs) District Registries (in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle) where Chancery Division High Court business is conducted.

Two Chancery Division High Court Judges are designated as the Supervising Judges of the B&PCs for respectively the Northern and North Eastern Circuits and the Midland, Western and Wales Circuits. The Supervising Judge for the Northern and North Eastern Circuits is also the Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine. Find out the details of the current Supervising Judges.

The work of the Chancery Division is grouped under the wider heading of the B&PCs. A number of Regional Centres have set up B&PCs webpages and provided other relevant resources:

Birmingham

Bristol

Cardiff

Leeds

Liverpool

Manchester

Newcastle

Appendix C of the Chancery Guide (PDF) sets out regional guidance and contact details for B&PCs District Registries.

All claim forms and all subsequent court documents relating to B&PCs work issued in the High Court must be marked ‘Business and Property Courts’ in the top right-hand corner. Appendix F of the Chancery Guide (PDF) provides further information on the correct titles of claims.

Regions and Supervising Judges

Chancery Supervising Judges are appointed to supervise Chancery work outside London according to region. Details of the current Chancery Supervising Judges are as follows:

  • South-Eastern – the Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Julian Flaux
  • Midland – Mr Justice Zacaroli
  • North-Eastern – Mr Justice Fancourt (Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster)
  • Northern – Mr Justice Fancourt (Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster)
  • Wales – Mr Justice Zacaroli
  • Western – Mr Justice Zacaroli

Chancery business in County Courts

The County Courts at Central London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool and Preston (all external links) have jurisdiction to deal with certain specialist work of the kind undertaken in the B&PCs as set out in CPR PD 57AA, paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2. Such claims will be heard in the ‘Business and Property Courts List’ and will be managed by the relevant specialist judges.

The County Court at Central London has published a guide to the Business and Property Work undertaken at the court (updated November 2023). View the Guide to Business & Property Work at Central London here (PDF).

Claim forms issued in the County Court relating to B&PCs work must be marked ‘Business and Property Work’ unless they fall within the exceptions listed in paragraph 4.2 of CPR PD 57AA. However, in Technology and Construction Court cases in the County Court, the claim form must be marked ‘Business and Property Courts Work’ (see CPR PD 60, paragraph 3.2). As noted above, Appendix F of the Chancery Guide (PDF) provides further information on the correct titles of claims.