Business and Property Court Bundle: Format and Filing Requirements

What Are the Business and Property Courts?

The Business and Property Courts of England and Wales are an umbrella for specialist courts and lists of the High Court (currently in the Chancery and King's Bench Divisions; from 1 October 2026 all within the new Business and Property Division, SI 2026/723; SI 2026/817), bringing 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 come from the relevant court guide (the Commercial Court Guide or the Chancery Guide) together with the judiciary's General Guidance on PDF bundles. 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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Electronic Bundle Requirements: The Key Points

Electronic bundle requirements in the Business and Property Courts are set by the relevant court guide (for example the Commercial Court Guide or the Chancery Guide), together with the judiciary's General Guidance on PDF bundles and the directions given in the individual case — not by a single numbered practice direction. Disclosure in the Business and Property Courts is governed by PD 57AD.

Format Requirements

Electronic Bundle Specifications

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

• OCR: Where possible, documents should be text-searchable (OCR applied to scanned documents)
• Resolution: not greater than 300 dpi (Chancery Guide Appendix X)
• Colour: Scan in colour only where colour is significant (e.g., photographs, annotated plans). Black and white scanning reduces file size substantially
• Orientation: documents should appear in portrait; a landscape original is inserted so it can be read with a 90-degree clockwise rotation, unless landscape documents are grouped in their own bundle (Chancery Guide Appendix X para 13(b); General Guidance on PDF Bundles para 2)

Core Bundle and Main Trial Bundles

Where the volume of documents makes it sensible, the Chancery Guide expects a separate core bundle alongside the main trial bundles (Appendix X paras 4–5):

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

Commercial Court trial: claimant by 12 pm two clear days before, defendant by 12 pm the next working day; 50 pages (CCG J.6.2, J.6.4). Chancery trial: not less than 2 clear days before; normally 25 and never more than 50 pages (Chancery Guide 12.50–12.51).

Content and Format

A skeleton argument should:

• 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

In the Commercial Court a composite authorities bundle goes to the Listing Office as soon as possible after skeleton arguments are exchanged and by 4 pm on the last working day before trial (CCG J.5.3(b)).

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Agreed Bundles and the Process of Agreement

The relevant court guide 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 propose additions or revisions within the time directed (in the Commercial Court at least 4 weeks before trial: CCG J.4.4(b))
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 claimant regards a bundle another party wants as unnecessary, that party must prepare and provide it (CCG J.4.5(b)).

Deadlines

Commercial Court: claimant's proposals at least 6 weeks before trial, others' additions at least 4 weeks before; bundles complete 10 days before and lodged at least 7 days before (CCG J.4.4, J.4.6, J.4.7).

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 right-hand corner)
• 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

The relevant court guide 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
• PDF export — designed to follow the court guides' bundle format
• Section management — organise your bundle into a core bundle and main bundles

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 relevant court guide from the start.

Build your BPC 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 the relevant court guide?

The court may refuse to accept a bundle that does not follow the guide, direct you to prepare a corrected 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?

Ask the judge how they want additions handled; absent a direction, provide a substitute bundle and the added pages separately, sub-numbered (for example 143.1, 143.2), so the existing pagination is not disturbed (General Guidance on PDF Bundles para 12; Chancery Guide Appendix X para 19).

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 the relevant court guide 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.