About us

We are an Advisory Public Body. We were established under the Civil Procedure Act 1997 with responsibility for overseeing and co-ordinating the modernisation of the civil justice system.

How we work

We meet at least three times a year to discuss and agree formal responses to consultation papers. We provide advice to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs on the effectiveness of aspects of the civil justice system, and make recommendations to test, review or conduct research into specific areas.

Council composition

To ensure an appropriate spectrum of experience and skills, the membership of the Council includes:

Members of the judiciary
Members of the legal professions
Civil servants concerned with the administration of the courts
Persons with experience in and knowledge of consumer affairs
Persons with experience and knowledge of the lay advice sector
Persons able to represent the interests of particular kinds of litigants (for example business or employees)

Committees

The majority of our day to day business is conducted by committees. Committees enable the Council to involve others with more detailed or specialist knowledge, and wider experience to deal quickly with specific issues or consultation papers. There are currently six committees, each chaired by a Council member, in the following areas of civil procedural reform:

Alternative Dispute Resolution
Housing and Land
Clinical Negligence and Serious Personal Injury
Access to Justice
Expert witnesses
Rehabilitation

Code of practice for council members

Members of the council must abide by our code of practice.

Download the code of practice 40kb, 4 pages