UK legal operations briefing — 1 October 2026
A new criminal-court listing framework and national live-links guidance for England and Wales.
England and Wales
Criminal courts introduce a national listing framework
The Judiciary’s 30 September announcement says the Practice Direction on Listing in the Criminal Courts takes effect on 1 October 2026. It directs judges to consider the human impact of delay when prioritising cases. The Lady Chief Justice’s live-links guidance, published on 6 July, is also being implemented nationally from 1 October.
What to check
Criminal litigation teams should review the published direction and supporting guidance when preparing listing requests and remote-participation arrangements. The announcement places separate domestic-abuse listing guidance in early November; teams should not treat that future guidance as already published.
Official sources
- Courts and Tribunals Judiciary: Listing and live-links guidance takes effect (published 2026-09-30)
This editorial briefing is general information, dated above. Check current official guidance for the relevant jurisdiction and matter.