The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has announced that the Civil Justice Council (CJC) will be conducting a review of third-party litigation funding. The CJC will set out the current position of third-party funding and consider access to justice, its effectiveness and regulatory options. The CJC will then make recommendations where necessary. The working group of the review invite those with an interest to join their wider consultation group for expert discussion. The group aims to provide an interim report by summer 2024, and a full report by summer 2025.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has announced that applications for the Judicial Assistant Scheme for the High Court of England and Wales for 2025/2026 will open on 14 February 2025. The deadline for applications is at 6pm on 21 March 2025. The scheme offers placements lasting either two or four legal terms, targeting recently qualified barristers and solicitors in the early stages of their careers. Successful applicants will be assigned to judges across all three Divisions of the High Court, assisting with legal research, document summarisation, and general judicial support. Candidates must demonstrate effective decision-making, excellent communication skills, the ability to deliver at pace, and a high level of professional integrity.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) of England and Wales has announced the appointment of Raquel Agnello KC as an Insolvency and Companies Court Judge. The appointment, made by the King on advice of the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, will take effect from 16 April 2025 with deployment to the Royal Courts of Justice. Agnello KC, called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1986, has served as a Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge since 2016.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has announced the appointment of HHJ Alexia Durran as the new Chief Coroner of England and Wales. The appointment commences on 25 May 2024 for a three-year term.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has announced that the Lady Chief Justice has created a new Transparency and Open Justice Board. The Board aims to lead and coordinate the promotion of transparency and open justice within all courts and tribunals across England and Wales. The members and outline of work are set out in the terms of reference.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has published details of the working group reviewing the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987, SI 1987/2024. The group, chaired by Sir Alastair Norris, includes representatives from His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and legal practitioners from the Bar, private client solicitors and legal executives. The review, which runs until 31 July 2025, brings together expertise from across the probate sector, including a chief master, district probate registrar, and specialists in contentious probate and trust law.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has announced that the summer vacation of the High Courts of Justice will run from 1 August 2024 to 10am 1 October 2024. CTJ has also confirmed that Royal Courts of Justice and Rolls Building will be closed on 26 August 2024 and that only applications of real urgency will be dealt with in August.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has published the Senior President of Tribunals’ Annual Report for 2025. The report describes developments across the tribunal system, with the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) identified as one of the jurisdictions experiencing increased workload and operational demand during the 2024–25 legal year.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive of the Judicial Office, Michelle Crotty. Crotty is currently serving as the Chief Capability Officer for the Serious Fraud Office, and will join the Judicial Office on 22 April 2024.Clare Farren and Amy Shaw will remain as joint interim CEO of the Joint Office until 22 April 2024.

Chief ICC Judge Briggs has extended the revised Pilot Practice Note on the listing and transfer of insolvency and related company work between the Royal Courts of Justice sitting in the Rolls Building and the County Court at Central London. The pilot, originally due to conclude on 31 March 2026, will now run until 30 September 2026 pending review and consideration of any amendments to the Insolvency Rules.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has published new statutory guidance on the use of live links in Crown Court and magistrates’ court proceedings, to be implemented by 1 October 2026, replacing the 2022 guidance and establishing a national framework for remote participation while preserving judicial discretion to depart from it where the interests of justice require. The guidance sets out when participants will ordinarily attend hearings remotely or in person, with defendants and advocates generally expected to attend plea and trial preparation hearings and trials in person, while permitting wider use of live links for preliminary hearings, some sentencing hearings involving defendants in custody, and professional, police and expert witnesses where appropriate. It also requires courts to consider factors such as effective participation, the importance of evidence, communication between defendants and legal representatives, the reliability of technology and open justice, and includes provisions for children, vulnerable participants, interpreters, witnesses, participation from outside the UK, and the practical operation of remote hearings.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (CTJ) has released a local practice note for London family courts, mandating rigorous compliance with the Public Law Outline (PLO) in public law children proceedings. The note, issued by Mr Justice MacDonald and effective from 28 November 2024, aims to address London's outlier status in case duration and hearing numbers. Key changes include limiting cases to three hearings as prescribed by the PLO (save where demonstrably necessary to deal with the case justly), stringent scrutiny of urgent applications and a more restrictive approach to ordering further assessments. The practice note emphasises effective case management hearings, limits expert evidence to what is 'necessary' and effective issues resolution hearings. It also outlines stricter enforcement of case management directions, with potential consequences for non-compliance, including costs orders and professional misconduct considerations.