Practice Note for Business and Property Division: CE-File, title of proceedings and neutral citation of judgments
Business and Property CourtsChancellor of the High CourtPractice Guidance
CE-File – 1 October to 5 October 2026
1. The “Court” and “Case Category” fields on CE-File will be updated to reflect the nomenclature of the Business and Property Division on Monday 5 October.
2. Users who wish to create filings on Thursday 1 October or Friday 2 October should select the most appropriate “Court” and “Case Category” from the options available.
3. These fields will be automatically updated for existing cases (existing as at 6pm on Friday 2 October). Case numbers will not change.
4. CE-File will not be available between 6pm on Friday 2 October to 6am Monday 5 October. The CE-File website will set out directions on how to file documents during that period.
Title of proceedings
5. Documents created in proceedings in the Business and Property Division should be titled in accordance with the relevant Practice Directions, forms and court guides. In general, the format of the title is as follows:
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
COURT/ LIST / SUB-LIST* [VENUE**]
*The court, list or sub-list should be specified as appropriate.
** The venue may be specified if and as appropriate
6. Examples are:
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
COMMERCIAL COURT
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION COURT
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
BUSINESS LIST IN WALES
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
PATENTS COURT
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
LONDON CIRCUIT COMMERCIAL COURT
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
APPEALS LIST, ROLLS BUILDING, LONDON
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION
PROPERTY TRUSTS AND PROBATE LIST IN BIRMINGHAM
7. There is no requirement to amend the title of proceedings in documents which have been filed before 1 October.
Neutral citation of judgments
8. Judgments handed down in the Business and Property Division will be allocated a neutral citation in the form [20XX] EWHC XXXX (BP), save for the following courts[1]:
| Admiralty Court | [20XX] EWHC XXXX (Admlty) |
| Commercial Court (including Circuit Commercial Court) | [20XX] EWHC XXXX (Comm) |
| Intellectual Property Enterprise Court | [20XX] EWHC XXXX (IPEC) |
| Patents Court | [20XX] EWHC XXXX (Pat) |
| Technology and Construction Court | [20XX] EWHC XXXX (TCC) |
Sir Colin Birss
Chancellor of the High Court
28 September 2026
[1] Practice Direction (Judgments: Neutral Citations) [2002] 1 WLR 346 will be updated in due course.