diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index e5911968cc..d68faec9c5 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ plugins {
     id 'com.github.kt3k.coveralls' version '2.12.2'
     id 'com.github.spacialcircumstances.gradle-cucumber-reporting' version '0.1.25'
     id 'org.jetbrains.gradle.plugin.idea-ext' version '1.4.1'
-    id 'info.solidsoft.pitest' version '1.15.0'
+    id 'info.solidsoft.pitest' version '1.19.0-rc.3'
     id 'uk.gov.hmcts.java' version '0.12.68'
     id 'au.com.dius.pact' version '4.6.20'
     id 'org.jsonschema2pojo' version '1.2.2'
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ dependencies {
     implementation group: 'org.springframework.boot', name: 'spring-boot-starter-jdbc'
     implementation group: 'org.springframework.boot', name: 'spring-boot-starter-oauth2-resource-server'
     implementation group: 'org.springframework.cloud', name: 'spring-cloud-starter-openfeign'
-    implementation group: 'org.springframework.cloud', name: 'spring-cloud-starter-loadbalancer'
+    implementation group: 'org.springframework.cloud', name: 'spring-cloud-starter-loadbalancer', version: '4.3.1'
     implementation group: 'org.springframework.hateoas', name: 'spring-hateoas'
     implementation group: 'org.springframework.plugin', name: 'spring-plugin-core'
     implementation group: 'org.springframework.retry', name: 'spring-retry'
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation group: 'io.rest-assured', name: 'rest-assured', version: '5.5.6'
     testImplementation group: 'org.assertj', name: 'assertj-vavr', version: '0.5.0'
     testImplementation group: 'org.springframework.boot', name: 'spring-boot-starter-test'
-    testImplementation group: 'org.springframework.cloud', name: 'spring-cloud-starter-contract-stub-runner'
+    testImplementation group: 'org.springframework.cloud', name: 'spring-cloud-starter-contract-stub-runner', version: '4.3.1'
     testImplementation group: 'org.testcontainers', name: 'testcontainers', version: testContainersVersion
     testImplementation group: 'org.testcontainers', name: 'postgresql', version: testContainersVersion
     testImplementation group: 'org.testcontainers', name: 'elasticsearch', version: testContainersVersion
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation group: 'com.github.hmcts', name: 'ccd-test-definitions', version: ccdTestDefinitionVersion
     testImplementation group: 'com.github.hmcts', name: 'befta-fw', version: beftaFwVersion
     testImplementation group: 'com.github.hmcts', name: 'fortify-client', version: '1.4.10', classifier: 'all'
+    testImplementation 'org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-contract-wiremock:4.3.1'
 
     contractTestImplementation group: 'au.com.dius.pact.provider', name: 'junit5', version: pactProviderVersion
     contractTestImplementation group: 'au.com.dius.pact.provider', name: 'spring', version: pactProviderVersion
@@ -623,7 +624,7 @@ jacocoTestReport {
         def report = file("${buildDir}/reports/jacoco/test/jacocoTestReport.xml")
         logger.lifecycle("Checking coverage results: ${report}")
 
-        def parser = new XmlParser()
+        def parser = new groovy.xml.XmlParser()
         parser.setFeature("http://apache.org/xml/features/nonvalidating/load-external-dtd", false);
         parser.setFeature("http://apache.org/xml/features/disallow-doctype-decl", false)
         def results = parser.parse(report)
@@ -719,11 +720,11 @@ task fortifyScan(type: JavaExec)  {
 
 idea {
   module {
-    // config to allow Intelij to mark test source and resource files correctly to help linting tools
-    testSourceDirs += project.sourceSets.aat.java.srcDirs
-    testSourceDirs += project.sourceSets.contractTest.java.srcDirs
-    testResourceDirs += project.sourceSets.aat.resources.srcDirs
-    testResourceDirs += project.sourceSets.contractTest.resources.srcDirs
+      // config to allow InteliJ to mark test source and resource files correctly to help linting tools
+      testSources.from(project.sourceSets.aat.java.srcDirs)
+      testSources.from(project.sourceSets.contractTest.java.srcDirs)
+      testResources.from(project.sourceSets.aat.resources.srcDirs)
+      testResources.from(project.sourceSets.contractTest.resources.srcDirs)
   }
 }
 
@@ -735,7 +736,7 @@ task highLevelDataSetup(type: JavaExec) {
     jvmArgs = ['--add-opens=java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED']
 }
 
-task smoke() {
+task smoke(type: JavaExec) {
     description = 'Executes smoke tests against an the CCD Data Store API instance just deployed'
     dependsOn aatClasses
 
@@ -745,19 +746,15 @@ task smoke() {
         into "$buildDir/test-results/test"
     }
 
-    doLast {
-        generateCucumberReports.enabled = true
-        javaexec {
-            mainClass = "uk.gov.hmcts.ccd.datastore.befta.DataStoreBeftaMain"
-            classpath += configurations.cucumberRuntime + sourceSets.aat.runtimeClasspath
-            args = ['--plugin', "json:${rootDir}/target/cucumber.json",
-                    '--plugin', "junit:${buildDir}/test-results/smoke/cucumber.xml",
-                    '--tags', '@Smoke and not @Ignore',
-                    '--glue', 'uk.gov.hmcts.befta.player',
-                    '--glue', "uk.gov.hmcts.ccd.datastore.befta", 'src/aat/resources/features']
-            jvmArgs = [ '--add-opens=java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED' ]
-        }
-    }
+    generateCucumberReports.enabled = true
+    mainClass = "uk.gov.hmcts.ccd.datastore.befta.DataStoreBeftaMain"
+    classpath += configurations.cucumberRuntime + sourceSets.aat.runtimeClasspath
+    args = ['--plugin', "json:${rootDir}/target/cucumber.json",
+            '--plugin', "junit:${buildDir}/test-results/smoke/cucumber.xml",
+            '--tags', '@Smoke and not @Ignore',
+            '--glue', 'uk.gov.hmcts.befta.player',
+            '--glue', "uk.gov.hmcts.ccd.datastore.befta", 'src/aat/resources/features']
+    jvmArgs = [ '--add-opens=java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED' ]
 
     finalizedBy {
         generateCucumberReports {
diff --git a/gradle/suppress.gradle b/gradle/suppress.gradle
index a664a6ad63..c9f1c91f77 100644
--- a/gradle/suppress.gradle
+++ b/gradle/suppress.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import groovy.util.slurpersupport.GPathResult
+import groovy.xml.XmlSlurper
+import groovy.xml.slurpersupport.GPathResult
 import groovy.xml.DOMBuilder
 import groovy.xml.XmlUtil
 import org.w3c.dom.Document
@@ -114,4 +115,4 @@ task suppressCves() {
         // If no argument is specified, the default report file is 'dependency-check-report.xml'
         suppressCves()
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index aaaabb3cb9..dbc3ce4a04 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.14.4-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-9.4.0-bin.zip
 networkTimeout=10000
 validateDistributionUrl=true
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
diff --git a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/model/common/DisplayContextParameter.java b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/model/common/DisplayContextParameter.java
index 5f687e0c4c..6146ec25dd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/model/common/DisplayContextParameter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/model/common/DisplayContextParameter.java
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ public String getValue() {
     }
 
     public static List<DisplayContextParameter> getDisplayContextParametersFor(String displayContextParameter) {
-        List<DisplayContextParameter> displayContextParameterTypeList = new ArrayList<>();
-        List<String> displayContextParameters = new ArrayList<>();
+        final List<DisplayContextParameter> displayContextParameterTypeList = new ArrayList<>();
+        final List<String> displayContextParameters = new ArrayList<>();
 
         if (Strings.isNullOrEmpty(displayContextParameter)) {
             return Collections.emptyList();
diff --git a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/createevent/CreateCaseEventService.java b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/createevent/CreateCaseEventService.java
index 60877aa99f..7d52cc528f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/createevent/CreateCaseEventService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/createevent/CreateCaseEventService.java
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ public CreateCaseEventResult createCaseSystemEvent(final String caseReference,
                                                        Event event) {
         final CaseDetails caseDetails = delegatingCaseDetailsRepository.findByReference(caseReference)
             .orElseThrow(() ->
-            new ResourceNotFoundException(format("Case with reference %s could not be found", caseReference)));
+                new ResourceNotFoundException(format("Case with reference %s could not be found", caseReference)));
 
         final CaseEventDefinition caseEventDefinition = new CaseEventDefinition();
         caseEventDefinition.setId("DocumentUpdated");
diff --git a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/search/elasticsearch/ElasticsearchSortService.java b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/search/elasticsearch/ElasticsearchSortService.java
index 01da197b86..4fd0475de6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/search/elasticsearch/ElasticsearchSortService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/service/search/elasticsearch/ElasticsearchSortService.java
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ private ObjectNode buildSortOrderFieldNode(CaseTypeDefinition caseTypeDefinition
         ObjectNode objectNode = objectMapper.createObjectNode();
         CommonField commonField =
             caseTypeDefinition.getComplexSubfieldDefinitionByPath(sortOrderField.getCaseFieldId()).orElseThrow(() ->
-            new ServiceException(String.format("Case field '%s' does not exist in configuration for case type '%s'.",
-                sortOrderField.getCaseFieldId(), caseTypeDefinition.getId()))
+                new ServiceException(String.format("Case field '%s' does not exist in configuration for case type "
+                    + "'%s'.", sortOrderField.getCaseFieldId(), caseTypeDefinition.getId()))
         );
         FieldTypeDefinition fieldType = commonField.getFieldTypeDefinition();
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/types/DocumentValidator.java b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/types/DocumentValidator.java
index 4af5243a48..1783914daf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/types/DocumentValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/domain/types/DocumentValidator.java
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ public BaseType getType() {
     public List<ValidationResult> validate(final String dataFieldId,
                                            final JsonNode dataValue,
                                            final CaseFieldDefinition caseFieldDefinition) {
-        List<ValidationResult> validationResults;
 
         // Empty text should still check against MIN - MIN may or may not be 0
         if (isNullOrEmpty(dataValue)) {
@@ -87,6 +86,7 @@ public List<ValidationResult> validate(final String dataFieldId,
                 + " does not match Document Management domain or expected URL path", dataFieldId));
         }
 
+        List<ValidationResult> validationResults;
         if (dataValue.has(DOCUMENT_BINARY_URL)) {
             final JsonNode documentBinaryUrl = dataValue.get(DOCUMENT_BINARY_URL);
             validationResults = validateDocumentBinaryURL(
diff --git a/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/integrations/IdamRepositoryCachingIT.java b/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/integrations/IdamRepositoryCachingIT.java
index cf21900329..2c24a8fe75 100644
--- a/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/integrations/IdamRepositoryCachingIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/uk/gov/hmcts/ccd/integrations/IdamRepositoryCachingIT.java
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ public void openMocks() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * <p>Test cached behaviour of getDataStoreUserAccessToken method.  Caching is implemented using Spring
-     * Cacheable annotation so test is performed on the actual IdamRepository bean with mocked dependencies.</p>
+     * Test cached behaviour of getDataStoreUserAccessToken method.  Caching is implemented using Spring
+     * Cacheable annotation so test is performed on the actual IdamRepository bean with mocked dependencies.
      *
      * <p>As the caching behaviour is controlled by Spring it is not reset between tests.  For this reason
      * all tests have to be in a single method so that state can be controlled.</p>