About us
We are responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts in England and Wales, as well as the reserved unified tribunals across the United Kingdom.
We work with an independent judiciary to provide a fair, efficient and effective justice system.
Our courts
We administer the work of magistrates’ courts, County Court, Family Court, Crown Court, Royal Courts of Justice and the Rolls Building.
Royal Courts of Justice
- Administrative Court
- Court of Appeal Civil Division
- Court of Appeal Criminal Division
- Family Division of the High Court
- Planning Court
- King’s Bench Division
- Senior Court Costs Office
Rolls Building
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Business and Property Courts:
- Admiralty Court
- The Business List
- Circuit Commercial Court
- Chancery Division
- Commercial Court
- Companies List
- The Competition List
- The Financial List
- Financial Remedies Court
- Insolvency List
- Intellectual Property Enterprise Court
- The Intellectual Property List
- Patents Court
- The Property, Trusts and Probate List
- The Revenue List
- Technology and Construction Court
Other courts
Our tribunals
- Employment Tribunal
- Employment Appeal Tribunal
- Gender Recognition Panel
- Gangmaster Licensing Appeals
- Pathogens Access Appeal Commission
- Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission
- Reserve Forces Appeal Tribunal
- Special Immigration Appeals Commission
First-tier Tribunal
- Asylum Support
- Care Standards
- Criminal Injuries Compensation
- General Regulatory Chamber
- Immigration and Asylum Chamber
- Mental Health
- Primary Health Lists
- Property Chamber
- Social Security and Child Support
- Special Educational Needs and Disability
- Tax Chamber
- War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation
Upper Tribunal
- Administrative Appeals Chamber
- Immigration and Asylum Chamber
- Lands Chamber
- Tax and Chancery Chamber
Who we are
We employ around 19,000 staff and operate from locations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Our responsibilities
Through the courts and tribunals we give people and businesses access to justice, including:
- victims and witnesses of crime
- defendants accused of crimes
- consumers in debt or with other disputes
- people involved in the adoption or protection of children
- businesses involved in commercial disputes
- individuals asserting their employment rights or challenging the decisions of government bodies
- people affected by relationship breakdown
We follow the Ministry of Justice’s outcome delivery plan to deliver swift access to justice.
We’re responsible for:
- providing the supporting administration for a fair, efficient and accessible courts and tribunal system
- supporting an independent judiciary in the administration of justice
- driving improvements across all aspects of the administration of the courts and tribunals
- collaborating effectively with other justice organisations and agencies, including the legal professions, to improve access to justice
- working with government departments and agencies to improve the quality and timeliness of their decision-making, which will reduce the number of cases coming before courts and tribunals
We launched our Reform Programme in 2016. Now in the final stages of delivery, we continue to work closely with the judiciary, legal professionals and users of our justice system – and are making considerable progress towards making that long-term vision a reality.
Our Reform Programme page contains more information and updates from each of the jurisdictional areas.
Corporate information
Access our information
- Accessible documents policy
- Complaints procedure
- Equality and diversity
- Media enquiries
- Our governance
- Research at HMCTS
- Statistics at HMCTS
Jobs and contracts
Read about the types of information we routinely publish in our Publication scheme. Find out about our commitment to Welsh language scheme. Our Personal information charter explains how we treat your personal information. Read our policy on Social media use.