The County Court (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2025

Made: 23rd October 2025

Coming into operation: 26th November 2025

The County Court Rules Committee makes and the Department of Justice, after consultation with the Lady Chief Justice, allows the following Rules in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 47 of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980[^f00001].

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

These Rules may be cited as the County Court (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on 26th November 2025.

2

In these Rules—

• (a) “the principal Rules” means the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981[^f00002]; and

• (b) a reference to an Order, Rule, paragraph, Appendix or Form is a reference to that Order, Rule, paragraph, Appendix or Form so numbered in the principal Rules.

Amendments to the principal Rules

3

The principal Rules are amended as follows—

• (1) In Order 19, Rule 5 from “(a)” to “2018” substitute “£43.00”.

• (2) In Order 24, Rule 9, for paragraph (7A) substitute—

(7A) The sum to be paid or tendered under paragraph (7)(a) to— (a) a police officer is £17.00; and (b) any other person is £23.00.

• (3) In Order 33, Rule 10, paragraph (6) from “(a)” to “2018” substitute “£10.00”.

• (4) In Order 55, Rule 17 from “(a)” to “2018” substitute “£4.00”.

• (5) For Appendix 2 substitute the new Appendix 2 set out in the Schedule to these Rules.

SCHEDULE 1

Signed

Patricia Smyth — P Gilpin — Alan Maguire — Claire Harmer — Lois Sullivan — Reginald Rankin — Sandra Crawford — Michael Ward — Helen McGinley — Dated 25th August 2025.

In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 47(4) of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980, I allow these Rules

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 23rd October 2025.

Naomi R Long — Minister of Justice

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Rules amend the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981 (S.R. 1981 No. 225) to—

• amend Orders 19, 24, 33 and 55 and insert a new Appendix 2 to increase scale costs by 23%, increase travel entitlements by 32%, and provide for a fee of £75 to be payable for any necessary affidavit not otherwise provided for.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: S.I. 1980/397 (N.I.3), to which the most recent relevant amendments were made by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c.4) and paragraph 33 of Schedule 17 to, and paragraph 118 of Schedule 18 to, the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No.976)

[^f00002]: S.R. 1981 No. 225, to which the most recent relevant amendments were made by S.R. 2017 No. 19

[^f00003]: S.I. 1977/1247 (N.I.14)

[^f00004]: S.I. 1988/793 (N.I.4)

[^f00005]: 1996 c.22 (N.I.)

[^f00006]: 2000 c.11

Editorial notes

[^key-2dbffe0e456cd61b1d20c2d0923c64f0]: Rule 1 in operation at 26.11.2025, see rule 1

[^key-5a1bb104fffaead3a851d3f6613e89bf]: Rule 2 in operation at 26.11.2025, see rule 1

[^key-02c9abedad58ae89db926e89eda52e11]: Rule 3 in operation at 26.11.2025, see rule 1

[^key-69b71704519923787468852362909121]: Sch. 1 in operation at 26.11.2025, see rule 1