Activated legal provisions clarifying the boundary between traditional civil procedure and new online court rules in England and Wales.

These regulations bring into force specific provisions of the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 that manage the relationship between standard civil court procedures and new digital legal processes in England and Wales.

The order directs that paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 and part of section 31 of the Act take effect simultaneously with the Online Procedure (Rules and Practice Directions) Rules 2026.

These provisions primarily apply to the judiciary and legal professionals by clarifying that Civil Procedure Rules and existing practice directions shall not apply to online proceedings unless specifically authorized by digital-procedure-specific regulations or directions.

Established a digital-first procedural framework for civil court proceedings in England and Wales, specifically commencing with possession proceedings.

This Statutory Instrument establishes a framework for conducting civil proceedings in England and Wales through a dedicated digital service managed by HMCTS. It mandates that specified proceedings—initially limited to possession proceedings—must be initiated and conducted via GOV.UK, while providing paper-based alternatives for unrepresented individuals.

The rules grant courts extensive active case management powers, including the authority to direct parties toward mediation, decide issues without full hearings, and transfer cases out of the online system if necessary to achieve justice.

The 2025 regulations established online procedure rules for specified civil and family proceedings relating to property and financial remedies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The Online Procedure Rules (Specified Proceedings) Regulations 2025, enacted under the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022, define specific civil and family proceedings in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland eligible for online procedures.

These include property-related cases in various courts and tribunals, and financial remedy proceedings in English and Welsh family courts.

The regulations were approved by both Houses of Parliament and signed by the Lord Chancellor, Lady Chief Justice, and Senior President of Tribunals.