The Chancery Division

The Chancery Division of the High Court undertakes civil work of many kinds, in particular business and property related disputes and including some specialist work such as companies, competition, insolvency and patents and other intellectual property.

The Division is currently based at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand. A move of the Division to the Rolls Building (off Chancery Lane) is planned for 2011.

The Head of Division, The Chancellor of the High Court, is the Right Honourable Sir Andrew Morritt CVO. 

There are currently seventeen High Court Judges attached to the Chancery Division. In addition, in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, there are six judges referred to as Chancery Masters (one of whom is the Chief Master) and six judges referred to as Bankruptcy Registrars (one of whom is the Chief Registrar).

In District Registries, the work done by Masters in London is done by District Judges.

Deputies sit on a regular basis for both Judges and Masters.

The Division includes:

Chancery Chambers (Masters)
Bankruptcy and Companies Court
Patents Court

Chancery sittings outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Central London County Court
Business Chancery and Patents section (020 7917 7821/7887)
Fax 0207 917 7935/7940

Chancery Business at Central London Civil Justice Centre 

The following courts deal with Chancery business outside London:

Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff
Leeds
Liverpool
Manchester
Newcastle
Preston

Chancery Supervising Judges are appointed to handle Chancery work outside London according to region.  The current list of Chancery Supervising Judges is as follows:

Regions and Supervising Judge:

South East - Chancellor of the High Court

Midlands - Mr Justice Kitchin

North East - Mr Justice David Richards (Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine)

North West - Mr Justice David Richards (Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine)

South West - Mr. Justice Kitchin

HMCS Wales - Mr. Justice Kitchin