The Online Procedure Rule Committee published a draft practice direction on 26 August 2026 setting out proposed procedural requirements for a new digital service for possession proceedings. The draft was released ahead of an anticipated first release of the service in September 2026, to give early visibility of the rules and support preparations.

The practice direction, developed alongside the Online Procedure Rules 2026, covers communications, hearings, evidence and court orders, and sets out which cases fall within the first phase. The initial court centres listed are Bradford, Caernarfon, Huddersfield and Wandsworth. It would apply to registered social landlords in England and community landlords in Wales making a possession claim in a postcode area served by one of those courts, with the areas listed in Appendix A. Cases outside this phase would remain governed by the Civil Procedure Rules, as would appeals and enforcement matters not yet provided for.

The committee said the draft content remains subject to final review and approval, with minor amendments possible before a final version is issued and comes into force. Publication of the draft creates no legal obligations, it said, and should not be relied on as a definitive statement of procedure. Further phases were planned to extend the service to more areas and user groups.