Explanatory note

These Regulations are the seventh commencement regulations made under the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (c. 35) (“the 2022 Act”).

Regulation 2 commences paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the 2022 Act, and section 31 in so far as it relates to that paragraph, on the day on which the Online Procedure (Rules and Practice Directions) Rules 2026 (S.I. 2026/696) come into force.

Paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the 2022 Act amends the Civil Procedure Act 1997 (c. 12) (“the 1997 Act”) to make provision about the relationship between Civil Procedure Rules and practice directions made under the 1997 Act and Online Procedure Rules and practice directions.

The amendments require Civil Procedure Rules to be framed so as not to apply to proceedings governed by Online Procedure Rules except to the extent provided for by Online Procedure Rules, directions under paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the 2022 Act, or regulations under section 21(1)(b) of the 2022 Act.

The amendments also provide that practice directions made under section 5 of the 1997 Act do not apply to proceedings governed by Online Procedure Rules except to the extent provided for by Online Procedure Rules, directions under paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the 2022 Act, or to the extent that Civil Procedure Rules apply to those proceedings by virtue of regulations under section 21(1)(b) of the 2022 Act.