The reform, due to take effect in October, aims to unify the group of specialist civil courts into one single structure—strengthening the international reputation of the courts and allowing for more flexible deployment of judges. Sir Colin Birss, Chancellor of the High Court, will become president of the BPD.
As well as the Chancery Division, the BPD will comprise the Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court and the Admiralty Court (which currently sit within the King’s Bench Division), the business list, the financial list, the competition list, the insolvency and companies list, the intellectual property list, the property, trusts and probate list and the revenue list.
The BPD will sit at the Rolls Building in London as well as in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
Baroness Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, said: ‘Its clearer structure improves access to civil justice and reinforces the country’s position as a leading global centre for dispute resolution—supporting crucial economic growth.’
James Robertson, commercial disputes partner at Spector Constant & Williams, said: ‘In my experience, my clients’ major concern will always be about how quickly their case can be decided.
‘Nobody wants to be stuck in litigation for a number of years with their resources being rapidly depleted while they simultaneously try to run a business. In circumstances where both the County Court and High Court are often accused of shocking delays in administering cases, any measure taken to reduce waiting times and increase access to justice should be lauded. However, we have to be extremely careful in ensuring that there is no decrease in the quality of the service provided.’
