Rolls Building in action

London's new business court, the Rolls Building, opened its doors in October, bringing under one roof the business related divisions of the High Court (the Admiralty and Commercial Court, the Technology and Construction Court and the Chancery Division).  The new court is hailed as the largest business court in the world.  It forms the centrepiece of the "Unlocking Disputes" campaign – an industry led campaign to promote London as a first class centre of excellence for dispute resolution.

Our construction disputes team has recently had the opportunity to see the new Rolls Building in action at a case management conference in the Technology and Construction Court.  Michael Mendelblat from the team reports on his impressions. 

The court building is located in Fetter Lane close to the main Law Courts but, unlike those courts, has a very modern feel about it.  Airport security is inevitable in a building of this type but thankfully the delays associated with airports do not seem to be an issue.  The building houses some 31 courts and 55 conference rooms.  The courts are not of a uniform size and there is, in effect, a small, medium and large classification.  The largest courts are capable of holding the most complex commercial trials, such as the current Berezovsky v Abramovich litigation.

Judges do not sit in a fixed court but rather circulate around the court rooms according to the type of case they are hearing.  Smaller rooms are available for hearings by masters (Deputy Judges).  There is ample seating outside the courts for parties waiting for their case to be called and consultation rooms can be booked for private discussions.

Our hearing was in one of the smaller court rooms but there was still room for both sides' large legal teams. As befits a construction case hearing, the air conditioning was working well and a two and a half hour hearing went by without it becoming stuffy. Although we did not need to on this occasion, the court is set up for the parties to use laptops and other electronic equipment during the course of a hearing and it benefits from both full Wi-Fi connectivity and cabled broadband. 

All in all, the court is a considerable improvement on the accommodation previously available for commercial trials and hearings. It should contribute to the Ministry of Justice's efforts to reinforce London as a major centre for the resolution of financial, business and property litigation.