Modernisation of High Court structure comes into effect today
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The Business and Property Division (BPD) comes into effect from today (1 October 2026).
Bringing together specialist courts from across the High Court, the BPD creates a modern structure for business and property litigation, improving clarity and access to justice. These specialist courts deal with high-value, complex and often international disputes, and play a pivotal role in supporting the UK’s legal services sector and wider economy.
Previously, courts dealing with business and property cases were spread across the Chancery and King’s Bench Divisions. The creation of the BPD aims to strengthen the reputation of the Business and Property Courts through the creation of a single, coherent division. The new structure will also support flexible judicial deployment and mean simplified governance and leadership arrangements.
The BPD will stand alongside the King’s Bench Division and Family Division, together making up three divisions of the High Court. It will be led by a President of the Business and Property Division (PBPD), replacing the role of the Chancellor of the High Court. Changes will not affect the wider structure or work of the King’s Bench Division.
To learn more about the BPD, revisit the video from the Lady Chief Justice’s announcement in June 2026: