Review will examine track allocation and the division of work between the High Court and County Court
The Civil Justice Council has launched a wide-ranging review of County Court track limits and the division of civil work between the County Court and the High Court.
The review will examine whether the current framework remains fit for purpose, assess whether existing limits and jurisdictional boundaries support efficient case allocation, proportionate costs and effective access to justice, and make recommendations for reform where appropriate.
The last substantive revision of court track limits took place in 2014. Since then, the CJC said there had been significant changes in civil justice practice, judicial deployment and court structures, alongside the increasing pace of digital reform. The working group will consider whether the present framework has kept pace with changes in the value and complexity of cases and the growing digitisation of court processes.
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls and chair of the CJC, said: “This is a significant opportunity to take stock of how track limits and jurisdictional boundaries operate across the civil justice system.
“We must ensure that the framework keeps pace with changes in case complexity, procedure and technology, and that it supports a system that is fair, efficient and accessible to all.”
The council has described the project as a “generational” review of County Court track limits and the boundary between the County Court and High Court. It will examine case allocation in the context of digital reform, regional practice and judicial deployment, while also considering differences across England and Wales and the need for greater transparency for court users, particularly in relation to costs, case management and legal representation.
The group’s work will be informed by data and the experience of judges and practitioners. High Court and County Court judges, data specialists and representatives from HM Courts & Tribunals Service will be involved, with HMCTS participating on an observer basis. The working group will gather and analyse information on the effect of current track allocation and court jurisdiction on efficiency, costs and access to justice.
A further part of the review will focus on gaps and limitations in existing HMCTS data and how those weaknesses may affect the accuracy of case allocation and the ability to assess whether the current system is operating effectively. The group will also consider what information should be recorded at claim level and how future digital systems should be designed to support continuing evaluation of track limits and jurisdictional boundaries.
The review will consider existing statutory monetary limits governing court jurisdictions, including whether those limits should be consolidated within the Civil Procedure Rules framework. It will also examine how the system could be made simpler, more predictable and more accessible for court users, particularly litigants in person who may find the present allocation framework difficult to understand.
The CJC said the framework should be “future-proofed” so that it can respond more effectively to changes in case values, complexity, court structures and technology. Improved data collection and regular review will form part of that work, with the group expected to consider how better information could support future reforms and allow the impact of any changes to be measured.
The working group will bring together senior representatives from the judiciary, legal practice, academia and other relevant fields. Its full membership has not yet been announced, but the council is seeking an additional member with expertise in data infrastructure and information governance.
Applicants should have experience of data systems, standards and governance, including how information is generated, shared and regulated. The CJC is also seeking knowledge of transparency, accountability and risk in data-driven and AI-enabled justice processes, together with experience of working with justice, government or other large-scale administrative datasets.
The successful applicant will help identify weaknesses in existing data and advise on how improved information capture and governance could support the future assessment of court track limits. Members will be expected to attend working-group meetings up to once a month and contribute their expertise to the group’s projects, analysis and final recommendations.
The task-and-finish group is expected to operate for between 12 and 18 months. Applications for the data and information-governance position must be submitted by midnight on 31 July 2026.