What the The High Court of Justice does
The King's Bench Division hears substantial contract and tort claims, personal injury, defamation and commercial disputes, and through the Administrative Court it decides judicial review — challenges to the lawfulness of decisions by government, councils and other public bodies, usually subject to a strict three month time limit. The Chancery Division covers business disputes, company and insolvency matters, trusts, probate claims and land. The Family Division deals with the most serious family cases, including those involving the inherent jurisdiction and international child abduction.
What it hears
- High-value contract, commercial and tort claims
- Serious personal injury and clinical negligence
- Judicial review of public body decisions — Administrative Court
- Company, insolvency, trusts, probate and land disputes — Chancery
- Urgent injunctions, including freezing and search orders
- Appeals from lower courts and certain tribunals
Before your first court date
High Court litigation is not sensibly conducted without representation. Pre-action conduct is scrutinised, so follow the relevant pre-action protocol, exchange information and consider alternative dispute resolution before issuing. Watch the time limits, which in judicial review are short and strictly applied — promptly, and in any event within three months of the decision. Get advice on costs exposure and funding before you commit, and preserve documents and electronic records from the moment a dispute is foreseeable.
What happens at your first appearance
Procedure is driven by the Civil Procedure Rules and by case management. Expect directions hearings, disclosure of documents, exchange of witness statements and expert reports, and costs budgeting in many cases. Urgent applications are heard quickly, sometimes without notice where notice would defeat the purpose, and carry a strict duty of full and frank disclosure. Trials are formal, in public, and conducted by advocates.
What to prepare
- A complete document set, preserved and unaltered, including electronic records
- A dated chronology of the dispute and the correspondence trail
- Advice on funding, costs exposure and any available insurance
- For judicial review, the decision under challenge and the date you learned of it
- Evidence of loss, quantified and supported by documents
When to get legal advice
This page is general legal information, not legal advice. If your matter genuinely belongs in the High Court, take proper advice before issuing — the decisions that matter most, on forum, funding and costs exposure, are made at the start. Legal Hotline's free line explains the process any hour on 07476 557650, and a one-hour consultation with a UK solicitor (£145, a fixed fee) can be booked right on the call.
Where it is
The High Court's principal home is the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London, with District Registries at major court centres across England and Wales and specialist courts sitting in the Rolls Building. Your claim or order names the court and registry.