The government continues to give little away about the global law summit it is working on to promote the UK's legal services overseas post-Brexit, despite announcing that it would be held in the spring.

Taking questions in the House of Commons on the effect leaving the EU will have on the justice system, justice secretary Liz Truss told MPs this morning that four of the top 10 global law firms are based in the UK.

She said: 'We have huge opportunities to promote English law, Scots law. We are working on a global Britain legal summit to bring together leading figures in the industry to promote what we do overseas.'

No date was given despite Truss telling the House of Commons in January that the summit would be held in the spring 'to promote the fantastic capabilities we have in the law'.

The summit, should it happen in spring, which technically ends on 21 June, would be the second legal summit hosted by the UK in just over two years. The first took place in London in February 2015, marking 800 years since the Magna Carta was sealed. 

Truss also assured MPs this morning that the government is seeking a 'smooth and orderly exit' from the EU.

She said: 'Legal certainty is fundamental to this, as is laid out in the Great Repeal Bill white paper. We will bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice so that our courts will be the ultimate arbiters of our law.'

Mutual enforceability of judgments and civil judicial cooperation is 'very important' and are priorities in the Brexit negotiations, Truss stressed.

As well as highlighting the importance of family law cooperation, the government is working closely with the Home Office on criminal justice cooperation, she added.