The High Court

The High Court of Justice is, together with the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, one of the senior courts of England and Wales. It is also known as the High Court of England and Wales and abbreviated by EWHC.

The High Court deals at first instance with all high value and high importance cases, and also has a supervisory jurisdiction over all subordinate courts and many (but not all) tribunals.

The High Court is based at the Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand, in central London. It has 'district registries' all across England and Wales and virtually all proceedings in the High Court may be issued and heard at a district registry. It is headed by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

The High Court has three main divisions: the Queen's Bench Division, the Chancery Division and the Family Division. The Senior Courts Costs Office, which deals with the quantification of legal costs pursuant to costs orders made by the courts, falls outside these divisions.