The Online Procedure Rule Committee (OPRC) is to produce a voluntary Code of Practice which will set out inclusion standards, technology and data standards and standards for the responsible and ethical use of AI in dispute resolution.
The committee said it hopes that the Code of Practice will be followed by all service providers in the digital justice system, including those involved in early dispute resolution.
“Through the publication of this Code of Practice, the OPRC aims to encourage providers to design services that protect and include vulnerable users, support seamless movement between systems, and enable earlier, fairer and more efficient resolution of disputes.”
It added that although the Code of Practice will be non-binding, it will be developed in partnership with the providers and users of the system and will provide a shared framework for good practice.
“This ambitious vision has already attracted strong stakeholder support and engagement,” the committee said.
The OPRC added that, over the coming months, it would continue engaging with users, providers and partners to test and refine its approach, with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, proportionality and accountability.
The Code of Practice will be published alongside the formal response to the OPRC’s 2025 consultation on the Pre-Action Model and Inclusion Framework.
Development of a voluntary code was revealed in a statement issued by the OPRC on its future priorities and next steps.
The OPRC was set up under the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 to make rules governing the practice and procedure for specific types of online court and tribunal proceedings across the Civil, Family and Tribunal jurisdictions.
The OPRC said its vision is “to support the development of a digital justice system that is accessible to everyone, easy to use, and capable of delivering justice more quickly, transparently and with public trust.
“The OPRC will achieve this by bringing people and organisations together across the civil justice sector, developing shared principles and standards, and helping to shape a more coherent, inclusive and user-focused digital justice ecosystem.”
The OPRC’s core rules have now been published and laid in Parliament as The Online Procedure (Rules and Practice Directions) Rules 2026. They will come into force on 7 September 2026.
The first procedural rules will follow later this year for possession proceedings. “These rules are pioneering in their approach, drafted to make procedures clear, accessible and capable of meeting users’ needs,” the committee said.
The OPRC is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.
