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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A court bundle is not simply a folder of case documents merged into one PDF. It is a hearing-specific, ordered and checked set of material that lets the judge and other participants find and read the evidence and submissions they need. The work includes deciding what belongs, following the right rules, building dependable navigation, checking every page and filing it in the required way. The rules below are for England and Wales; other jurisdictions differ, and case-specific directions can change the process.
Start with the hearing, the directions and responsibility
Before collecting files, identify the hearing type, read the order and check the current practice direction and court-specific filing instructions. General Judiciary e-bundle guidance expressly excludes tribunal hearings, and family proceedings have their own requirements. A civil trial bundle, a judicial-review bundle and a family bundle are not interchangeable formats.
Responsibility also depends on the proceeding. For an ordinary civil trial, the claimant files the bundle; delegating assembly does not transfer the responsibility of the legal representative with conduct of the claim. In family proceedings, the applicant normally prepares the bundle. If the applicant is a litigant in person, a represented respondent is normally responsible, subject to any different court direction.
Choose documents for the hearing, not for the archive
The bundle should contain what the court needs to read or what will actually be referred to—not everything accumulated in the case. Civil trial bundles commonly include statements of case, an appropriate chronology or summary, witness statements, expert and medical reports, relevant notices, trial directions and other documents needed for the hearing. Parties are encouraged to agree contents; if they cannot, the bundle should identify the disputed points.
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Family Practice Direction 27A is more explicit about excluding material unless it is necessary or directed. It identifies categories such as correspondence, messages, recordings, financial records, photographs and specified social-services records. A document’s existence in the case file is not by itself a reason to include it.
In civil proceedings, contemporaneous documents relied on by a party are generally arranged in chronological order of creation unless the court directs otherwise. Expert reports may be placed separately and cross-referenced. Where several volumes are needed, a core bundle can contain essential documents and direct the reader to supplementary volumes. Judicial review has its own trigger: if the hearing bundle exceeds 400 pages, the parties must agree a core bundle, which includes the pleadings and challenged decision or measure.
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Make the index and page references dependable
Pagination is functional: lawyers, witnesses and the judge need to reach the same page from the same reference. Civil trial bundles should be continuously paginated and indexed, with each document described and its page number given. Numbered dividers should be used when the bundle exceeds 100 pages.
For electronic bundles, the general Judiciary guidance calls for computer-generated page numbers beginning at page 1 and continuing through the bundle, matching the PDF’s page numbering. Each index entry should link to its document, and bookmarks should identify significant documents and sections. Family PD27A has distinct numbering rules for financial-remedy and other family cases, so its requirements—not a generic recipe—should be checked for the case in hand.
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Check scans, orientation and file usability
Scanned pages containing typed text should be processed with optical character recognition (OCR). OCR gives the PDF a searchable text layer, making it easier to locate, highlight and copy text; it does not replace checking the scanned page itself. Inspect pages for legibility, correct orientation and usable display, including landscape sheets that should appear landscape and pages that may be upside down.
The Judiciary’s general e-bundle guidance says resolution should not exceed 300 dpi to avoid slow scrolling or rendering. Family PD27A also says that, where possible, documents should use at least 12-point type, 1.5 or double line spacing, margins, and Arial or Times New Roman. Optimise the PDF so its size is no larger than necessary while keeping the documents readable.
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Keep paper copies and electronic pagination aligned
When paper copies are required, their pagination should match the electronic bundle. Civil trial guidance expects identical bundles for parties and witnesses and normally calls for double-sided copying. Family proceedings generally expect an e-bundle, but paper copies are required in specified circumstances—for example, where there is a realistic possibility that a witness will give evidence in person, unless the court directs that equipment be used instead.
For a family paper bundle, PD27A normally specifies one A4 ring binder or lever arch file, subject to directions, with a limit of 175 sheets or 350 sides. The family e-bundle default maximum is 350 pages; exceeding it requires court permission. These are family-proceedings limits, not universal limits for all court bundles.
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File and update the bundle under the right procedure
Deadlines and delivery methods vary by case. In civil trials, the bundle is generally filed no more than seven and no less than three days before trial, unless the court orders otherwise. Judicial review has different deadlines for hearing bundles and authorities bundles. The order and applicable rules take precedence over a general timetable.
General Judiciary guidance says an electronic filename should identify the case reference, short case name and bundle type. An email subject should identify the case number, case name, hearing date and judge, if known. That guidance states an aggregate limit of 36 MB for justice.gov email messages and attachments; larger bundles may be sent through the Document Upload Centre by prior arrangement where appropriate. Confirm that these channels and limits remain applicable for the particular court before relying on them.
If material must be added after a bundle has been sent to a judge, the general guidance says to append the new pages, ask the court how to provide them, and provide both the additions and a revised bundle unless directed otherwise. This matters because the judge may have annotated the original. Follow any case-specific instruction instead of assuming an already-filed bundle can simply be replaced.
Quick Recap
How the requirements differ in England and Wales
| Proceeding or guidance | What it governs | Practical point |
|---|---|---|
| General Judiciary e-bundle guidance | General court-hearing e-bundle practice; it excludes tribunal hearings. | Use as a baseline only after checking court-specific directions. |
| Civil trial, CPR Practice Direction 32 | Responsibility, timing, contents, pagination, indexing, copies and paper format. | Delegating production does not remove the responsible legal representative’s accountability. |
| Judicial review, Practice Direction 54A | Core-bundle requirements and distinct hearing and authorities-bundle deadlines. | A hearing bundle longer than 400 pages triggers agreement on a core bundle. |
| Family proceedings, Practice Direction 27A | Dedicated requirements for contents, responsibility, format, pagination and filing. | In force from 2 March 2026; use it rather than superseded family e-bundle guidance. |
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