The Business Court will occupy a brand new building which will
be called the Rolls Building and will be located on Fetter Lane
near the Royal Courts of Justice.
"The new Business Court will house a world class institution to
match the UK's world class reputation for business law which
attracts cases from across the globe," said Lord Falconer, the
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor.
"The UK's legal reputation in the business industry is already
highly respected across the world: this tailor-made building will
cement that reputation and put us head and shoulders above our
world competitors."
Her Majesty's Court Service says that the current facilities are
not able to cope with the demands made of them. The Commercial
Court and the Technology Court are "no longer suitable for the
volume of work the court handles," an HMCS statement said.
The Business Court will incorporate the work of a number of
existing courts, including the Chancery Division, the Commercial
Court, the Technology Court and the Construction Court. It will
also deal with patent issues, trade mark disputes and international
contract issues.
HMCS says that most of the courts are already housed together
but in a building that some users find old and unsuitable for the
kind of modern use to which it is put.
The new building will house 29 court rooms, 12 hearing rooms for
bankruptcy hearings, 44 consultation rooms and better waiting rooms
for users.
"This will bring the court into the 21st century and make the
reality match the international expectations of clients who choose
London as the forum for their international disputes," said Les
Christy, a barrister with Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind
OUT-LAW.COM.
"The pre-eminent international reputation for commercial dispute
resolution, and thus its contribution to the success of the
business of the City, has been in danger of being undermined from
poor courtroom and support facilities," said the Lord Mayor of the
City of London, Alderman John Stuttard. "The new Business Court
will ensure that London can build on its reputation as the leading
centre for commercial dispute resolution and can continue to
compete internationally."
The courts involved process disputes under English law, which is
very often the chosen jurisdiction even when neither party is
English. English is the most common language of international law
and the court system is seen as being independent and
trustworthy.
Business cases in Scotland are dealt with by Sheriff Courts and,
for more serious cases, by the Court of Session, said litigation
expert David Woods of Pinsent Masons. Within the Court of Session,
which tries the most serious civil cases, there are several
specialist courts for commercial matters, said Woods.
