Business and Property Court Bundle Requirements: A Practical Guide

Last updated: March 2026

Quick Answer

The Business and Property Courts (BPCs) have specific bundle requirements set out in Practice Direction 57AB, which governs the preparation of trial bundles in all BPC proceedings. Electronic bundles must be in single-layer PDF format, consecutively paginated, with a hyperlinked index. Core bundles should not exceed 500 pages unless the court directs otherwise. Skeleton arguments, chronologies, and reading lists must be filed separately and are not part of the trial bundle. Getting these requirements right is not optional — non-compliance can lead to adjournments and adverse cost orders.

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What Are the Business and Property Courts?

The Business and Property Courts of England and Wales form a specialist division of the High Court, established in 2017 to bring together the courts dealing with business, property, commercial, and financial disputes. The BPCs sit in the Rolls Building in London and at various District Registries across England and Wales.

The BPC Lists

The BPCs comprise several specialist lists, each handling a particular type of commercial or property dispute:

Regardless of which list your case sits in, the bundle requirements are governed by the same practice direction — PD 57AB. Understanding these requirements is essential whether you are a solicitor managing a complex commercial trial or a litigant in person navigating the system for the first time.

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Practice Direction 57AB: The Key Requirements

Practice Direction 57AB came into force on 2 October 2023, replacing the earlier provisions scattered across various practice directions. It represents a significant modernisation of bundle requirements, reflecting the post-pandemic shift towards electronic filing and remote hearings.

Format Requirements

Electronic Bundle Specifications

The BPCs have embraced electronic bundles and, for most hearings, an electronic bundle is the default format. Key specifications:

• File size: Individual PDF files should not exceed 250MB. If the bundle exceeds this, split it into separate volumes
• OCR: Where possible, documents should be text-searchable (OCR applied to scanned documents)
• Resolution: Scan at sufficient resolution for legibility but avoid unnecessarily high resolution that inflates file size — 200 to 300 DPI is appropriate
• Colour: Scan in colour only where colour is significant (e.g., photographs, annotated plans). Black and white scanning reduces file size substantially
• Orientation: All pages must be the right way up. Landscape documents should be rotated so they can be read without turning the screen

Common mistake: Filing multi-layer PDFs with embedded form fields or digital signatures. The court's PDF viewer may not render these correctly. Always flatten your PDFs to a single layer before inclusion in the bundle.

Core Bundle vs Supplementary Bundle

PD 57AB distinguishes between the core bundle and the supplementary bundle:

The core bundle is the primary working document for the trial. Judges in the BPCs routinely emphasise that the core bundle should contain only documents that are genuinely needed. Including marginally relevant material in the core bundle dilutes its usefulness and frustrates the court.

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Skeleton Arguments

Skeleton arguments are not part of the trial bundle. They are filed separately and have their own requirements:

Timing

Content and Format

A skeleton argument should:

• Not exceed 25 pages (or as the court directs)
• Be concise and focused — it is not a written closing submission
• Set out the party's submissions on each issue, with reference to the legal authorities relied upon
• Cross-reference the bundle — every factual proposition should cite the relevant page number
• Cite authorities properly — with neutral citations, law report references, and paragraph numbers
• Include a reading list and time estimate — telling the judge what to read in advance and how long it will take

Practical tip: The skeleton argument is often the first substantive document the judge reads. A well-structured skeleton that directs the judge to the key documents in the bundle is far more persuasive than a lengthy narrative that forces the judge to hunt through the papers.

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Chronologies and Reading Lists

The Chronology

The chronology is a factual document — not an advocacy document. It should:

• List events in date order
• Give a brief, neutral description of each event
• Include bundle page references for each event
• Be agreed between the parties where possible
• If agreement is not possible, use a two-column format: agreed facts in one column, disputed facts in the other

The Reading List

The reading list tells the judge:

• Which documents in the bundle to read before the hearing
• The estimated reading time
• The order in which documents should be read

Judges in the BPCs typically allocate pre-reading time before the trial begins. If your reading list is sensible and realistic, the judge arrives at the hearing with a good understanding of the case. If your reading list is unrealistic (asking the judge to read 800 pages in two hours), it achieves nothing.

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Authorities Bundles

Legal authorities (case law and statutes) are filed in a separate authorities bundle, not the trial bundle:

• Include only the authorities you intend to cite — not every case vaguely related to the issues
• Mark or highlight the relevant passages — do not expect the judge to read entire judgments
• Provide neutral citations and, where available, official law report references
• For well-known principles, a reference may suffice without including the full judgment

The authorities bundle should be filed at the same time as skeleton arguments.

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Agreed Bundles and the Process of Agreement

PD 57AB requires the parties to cooperate in preparing the trial bundle. In practice:

1. The claimant (or the party ordered to prepare the bundle) prepares a draft index and circulates it to all other parties
2. The other parties have a specified period (usually 7 to 14 days) to propose additions or object to inclusions
3. The parties should seek to agree the contents — though agreement on the documents does not mean agreement on their truth or relevance
4. The final bundle is then prepared and filed with the court

If the parties cannot agree, the preparing party should include all documents that any party wishes to include, with a note identifying the disputed items.

Deadlines

These deadlines vary — always check the specific directions order for your case.

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Practical Tips for Bundle Preparation

1. Start Early

Do not leave bundle preparation to the last week before trial. Begin assembling documents as soon as disclosure is complete. The earlier you start, the more time you have to resolve disputes about contents and correct formatting errors.

2. Use Consistent Formatting

All documents in the bundle should be formatted consistently:

• Same page orientation (portrait unless the document requires landscape)
• Same page numbering position (bottom centre)
• Same margin sizes where possible
• Scanned documents at consistent resolution

3. Remove Duplicates

Go through the bundle methodically and remove duplicate documents. It is surprisingly common for the same email or letter to appear multiple times — once in the correspondence section and again as an exhibit to a witness statement. Include it once, in the most logical location, and cross-reference it elsewhere.

4. Check Legibility

Ensure every page is legible. Faded photocopies, low-resolution scans, and handwritten documents that have been reduced in size are common problems. If a document is difficult to read, provide a typed transcript alongside the original.

5. Test the Hyperlinks

Before filing, test every hyperlink in the index. A hyperlinked index that does not work is worse than no hyperlinks at all — it suggests carelessness.

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Using BundleCreator for BPC Bundles

Practice Direction 57AB imposes detailed technical requirements that can be challenging to meet, particularly if you are assembling the bundle manually. BundleCreator is designed to handle these requirements automatically:

• Automatic consecutive pagination — no need to manually number each page
• Hyperlinked index generation — created automatically from your document list
• PDF bookmarking — each document is bookmarked for easy navigation
• Drag-and-drop organisation — reorder documents and sections instantly
• Court-compliant PDF export — single-layer, correctly formatted PDF ready for filing
• Section management — organise your bundle into core and supplementary sections

Whether you are preparing a bundle for a one-day application or a multi-week commercial trial, the platform removes the formatting burden and helps you work within the rules with PD 57AB from the start.

Build your BPC-compliant bundle at BundleCreator.co

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need to file paper bundles?

For most BPC hearings, electronic bundles are the default. However, the court may direct that paper bundles are also required — particularly for longer trials where multiple volumes are needed. Always check the specific directions order for your case. If paper bundles are required, they must contain exactly the same documents as the electronic bundle, in the same order and with the same pagination.

What happens if my bundle does not comply with PD 57AB?

The court may refuse to accept a non-compliant bundle, direct you to prepare a compliant version (at your own cost), or adjourn the hearing. In serious cases, the court may make an adverse costs order — requiring you to pay the other party's wasted costs caused by the adjournment. Judges in the BPCs are increasingly strict about compliance.

Can I add documents to the bundle after it has been filed?

Only with the court's permission. If a document comes to light after the bundle has been filed, you must apply to the court for permission to include it. The court will consider whether the document is relevant, why it was not included earlier, and whether its inclusion would cause prejudice to the other party. Late additions are strongly discouraged.

How do I paginate exhibits to witness statements?

Exhibits to witness statements should be paginated as part of the main bundle — not separately. If Exhibit "AB1" to a witness statement appears at pages 450 to 475 of the bundle, the witness statement should refer to those page numbers. Do not create a separate pagination for exhibits.

What is the difference between a trial bundle and a hearing bundle?

A trial bundle is prepared for the final trial of the claim and contains all documents needed for the trial. A hearing bundle is prepared for an interim application (such as a summary judgment application or an injunction) and contains only the documents relevant to that specific application. The format requirements under PD 57AB apply to both, but hearing bundles are typically much shorter.

Who is responsible for preparing the bundle?

Unless the court directs otherwise, the claimant is responsible for preparing the trial bundle. In multi-party cases, the court may direct a specific party to take responsibility. The cost of preparation is typically treated as a cost of the proceedings and recoverable from the losing party.

Can I use colour tabs or dividers in a paper bundle?

Yes, and you should. For paper bundles, colour-coded tabs or dividers separating each section make navigation significantly easier. Use a consistent colour scheme and label each tab clearly. For electronic bundles, bookmarks serve the same purpose.

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This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The law and procedure described applies to England and Wales. If you are unsure about your specific situation, seek independent legal advice.