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Courts Act 1971

Type Public General Act
Publication 1971-05-12
Last updated 2022-03-10
State In force
Department Statute Law Database
Source legislation.gov.uk
articles Not indexed
Reform history JSON API
  • (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, for the purpose of enabling proceedings instituted before the appointed day to be continued thereafter, and for preserving in other respects the continuity of the administration of justice, the Crown Court shall be treated as succeeding to, and being the same court as, all criminal assize courts and, except as respects functions not transferred to the Crown Court, all courts of quarter sessions.
  • (2) Any order, writ, summons, warrant, recognizance, notice, grant of legal aid or other proceeding or document shall have effect in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) above, and shall be construed, unless the context otherwise requires, in accordance with the Table in Part I of Schedule 8 to this Act.
  • (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part-heard proceedings

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Costs in criminal cases

3

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Records of courts of quarter sessions

4

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Part II — Courts: Miscellaneous

Civil courts of assize

5

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Directions by Lord Chief Justice

6

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Part III — County Court Judges

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Part IV — Judges, Officers and Staff

Continuation of appointments

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  • (1) The repeals made by this Act shall not affect the appointment of any judge, officer or other person made before the repeal takes effect, but without prejudice to any provision of this Act abolishing any office or employment.
  • (2) The repeals made by this Act shall not affect any pension or other right in respect of service before the repeal takes effect.

Jury service

10

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15
  • (1) In relation to any person who, before the day appointed for the coming into force of section 44(1)(a) of this Act held office as a clerk of the peace or a deputy clerk of the peace, the repeal by this Act of—
  • (a) section 9(2) of the Local Government (Clerks) Act 1931,
  • (b) any provision of the Local Government Superannuation Act 1937,
  • (C) any provision of the Local Government Superannuation Act 1953, and
  • (d) sections 8 and 29 of the Administration of Justice Act 1964.

shall not affect the continued operation of those provisions or of any regulations made under them so far as they relate to rights accrued, contributions made and other things done before that day.

  • (2) Without prejudice to sub-paragraph (1) above, for the purposes of—
  • (a) any statutory provision contained in or made or issued under the Local Government Superannuation Acts 1937 to 1953, the Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1948 or Part III of the National Insurance Act 1965, which is in force at the passing of this Act, and
  • (b) except as may be otherwise expressly provided therein, any enactments passed after the passing of this Act whereby any of those Acts is amended, extended or superseded, and any statutory instrument which after the passing of this Act is made or issued under any of those Acts or such an enactment,

in any case where, at the time after the day appointed for the purposes of section 44(1) of this Act, a court of quarter sessions would, if this Act had not been passed, have been the employing authority in relation to a clerk of the peace, deputy clerk of the peace or other officer of the court who before that day died while serving, or otherwise ceased to serve, in that employment, or in relation to the widow or any other dependant of such a person, the relevant local authority, as defined in sub-paragraph (3) below, shall be treated as being at that time the employing authority in relation to that person or, as the case may be, to that person’s widow or other dependant.

  • (3) In sub-paragraph (2) above “the relevant local authority” means—
  • (a) in relation to a person, or the widow or other dependant of a person, who was clerk of the peace or deputy clerk of the peace for a London commission area or who was otherwise an officer of the court of quarter sessions for such an area, the Greater London Council; and
  • (b) in relation to any person, or the widow or other dependant of any person, not falling within paragraph (a) above, the county council which, immediately before the day appointed for the purposes of section 44(1) of this Act, defrayed expenditure of the court of quarter sessions concerned under section 29(9) of the Administration of Justice Act 1964.
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  • (1) The Lord Chancellor may, with the concurrence of the Minister for the Civil Service, give a direction with respect to any clerk, bailiff, usher or messenger of a county court appointed by the registrar of that court under the proviso to section 28(1) of the County Courts Act 1959 (which relates to the case where the registrar’s salary includes the remuneration of any such officer) or deemed to have been so appointed by virtue of section 205 of that Act; and where a direction is so given then, subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, that person’s employment in court service shall be deemed for all purposes to be employment in the civil service of the State . . .
  • (2) Except in so far as the Minister for the Civil Service directs in any case, no account shall be taken for the purposes of this paragraph of court service before the giving of the direction under sub-paragraph (1) above.
  • (3) For the purpose of this paragraph “court service” means employment as a clerk, bailiff, usher or messenger in the service of a county court, whether or not combined with employment as a clerk in the service of a district registry of the High Court.

Seconding of staff from local or other authorities

17

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Editorial notes

1

Pt. 4 functions tranferred (19.8.2003) by The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/1887, arts. 1(2), 4, Sch. 1

2

S. 27 repealed (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 109(1)(3), 110, Sch. 8 para. 139(a), Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)(aa) and s. 27(9) amended (with effect only until the aforementioned repeal comes fully into force in accordance with Sch. 4 para. 361 of the amending Act) by 2005 c. 4, ss. 15(1), 148(1), Sch. 4 para. 366; S.I. 2006/1014, arts. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(cc)

6

Words in s. 52(3)(b) substituted (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 29), ss. 109(1), 110, Sch. 8 para. 140(a); S.I. 2009/910, art. 3(y)

7

Words in s. 52(3) substituted (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 29), ss. 109(1), 110, Sch. 8 para. 140(b); S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)

17

S. 20(5)(6) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

18

S. 41 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

19

S. 42(1) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

20

S. 42(4) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

21

S. 43 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

22

S. 53 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

23

S. 55(4) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

24

S. 59(2)-(4) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

25

S. 59(5)(a) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

26

S. 59(5)(e) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

27

S. 59(6)(a) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

28

Words in s. 59(6)(e) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

29

Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 1 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

30

Words in Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 3(2) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

31

Sch. 2 Pt. 2 para. 8 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

32

Sch. 5 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

33

Sch. 7 para. 4 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

34

Sch. 7 para. 5 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

35

Sch. 8 para. 14 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

36

Sch. 8 Pt. 2 para. 55 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

37

Sch. 8 Pt. 2 para. 59 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

38

Sch. 8 Pt. 2 para. 60(1)(2) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

39

Sch. 9 Pt. 1 entries repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

40

Sch. 10 para. 1(3) repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

41

Sch. 10 para. 2 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

42

Sch. 10 para. 3 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

43

Sch. 10 para. 4 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

44

Sch. 10 para. 5 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

45

Sch. 10 para. 6 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

46

Sch. 10 para. 7 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

47

Sch. 10 para. 8 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

48

Sch. 10 para. 10 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

49

Sch. 10 para. 17 repealed (22.7.2004) by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 2004 (c. 14), s. 1(1), {Sch. 1 Pt. 1 Group 3}

51

S. 21(3)-(4C) substituted (3.4.2006) for s. 21(3)(4) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15, 148, Sch. 4 para. 69(2); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(e)

58

Sch. 2 Pt. 1A: reference to a "Master of the Court of Protection" repealed (1.10.2007) by Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9), ss. 67(1)(2), 68(1), Sch. 6 para. 17, Sch. 7 (with ss. 27, 28, 29, 62); S.I. 2007/1897, art. 2(1)(c)(d)

65

S. 24(1)(a) substituted (19.7.2007) by Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c. 15) , ss. 55 , 148

69

Words in Sch. 2 Pt. IA substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 4; S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(b)(d)

72

Act not in force at Royal Assent see s. 59(2); Act wholly in force at 1. 1. 1972.

73

For extent see s. 59(5)(6)(7).

74

Pts. I, II (ss. 1–15) repealed (E.W.) by Supreme Court Act 1981 (c. 54, SIF 37), s. 152(4), Sch. 7

91

S. 18 modified (9.11.1998) by 1998 c. 42, s. 18(4)(d) (with ss. 7(8), 22(5)) S. 18 modified (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 68(3)(a), 108(3)(b) (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2))

101

Words in s. 21(5) substituted (31.3.1995) by 1993 c. 8, s. 26, Sch. 6 para. 9(1); S.I. 1995/631, art. 2

105

S. 24 with subsections (1)–(5) substituted (E.W.) for s. 24 with subsections (1)–(6) by Supreme Court Act 1981 (c. 54, SIF 37) , s. 146

106

S. 24(1A) inserted (31.3.1995) by 1993 c. 8 , s. 26 , Sch. 6 para. 9(2) ; S.I. 1995/631 , art. 2

107

S. 24(4) repealed (31.3.1995) by 1993 c. 8 , s. 26 , Sch.9 ; S.I. 1995/631 , art. 2

113

The text of ss. 26(3)(4), 51(2), 53(5) and 56(4) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

120

The text of ss. 26(3)(4), 51(2), 53(5) and 56(4) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

121

S. 52(1)(2) repealed by Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1973 (c. 14), Sch. 2

122

S. 52(3)(a) repealed by Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1973 (c. 14), Sch. 2

123

Words repealed by Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1973 (c. 14), Sch. 2

128

The text of ss. 26(3)(4), 51(2), 53(5) and 56(4) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

129

Definition of “the Judicature Act 1925” repealed by Supreme Court Act 1981 (c. 54, SIF 37), s. 152(4), Sch. 7

140

1975 c.14 (113:1).

141

Sch. 2 Pt. IA entry substituted (1.8.1998) by 1998 c. 8, s. 15, Sch. 1 para. 1; S.I. 1998/1658, art. 2, Sch. 1

143

1971 c.77 (62).

144

1943 c.39 (101A:2).

145

Words in Sch. 2 Pt. IA substituted (31.8.2000) by 1999 c. 22, s. 78, Sch. 11 para. 19 (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2)); S.I. 2000/1920, art. 3

171

The text of Schedule 6 paras. 6, 7, 9(1), 12 and 13 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

177

The text of Schedule 6 paras. 6, 7, 9(1), 12 and 13 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

180

The text of Schedule 7 paras. 1–5 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

181

The text of Schedule 7 paras. 1–5 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

182

The text of Schedule 7 paras. 1–5 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

186

Certain functions exercisable by virtue of para. 1 of Sch. 8 transferred by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), s. 16, Sch. 8 para. 25

191

The text of Schedule 8 paras. 4, 5, 7–10, 12, 14, 15(1), 16, 19, 21, 28, 33, 37, 39, 41, 42(1), 45(1)(2)(4)(5), 49, 55, 58–60 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

193

The text of Schedule 8 paras. 4, 5, 7–10, 12, 14, 15(1), 16, 19, 21, 28, 33, 37, 39, 41, 42(1), 45(1)(2)(4)(5), 49, 55, 58–60 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

197

The text of Schedule 8 paras. 4, 5, 7–10, 12, 14, 15(1), 16, 19, 21, 28, 33, 37, 39, 41, 42(1), 45(1)(2)(4)(5), 49, 55, 58–60 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

199

Sch. 8 para. 8 repealed (19.11.1998) by 1998 c. 43, s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. VIII

200

The text of Schedule 8 paras. 4, 5, 7–10, 12, 14, 15(1), 16, 19, 21, 28, 33, 37, 39, 41, 42(1), 45(1)(2)(4)(5), 49, 55, 58–60 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

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