Part IProcedure etc. in Civil Courts
Family proceedings
9Allocation of family proceedings which are within the jurisdiction of county courts
1
The Lord Chancellor may, with the concurrence of the President of the Family Division, give directions that, in such circumstances as may be specified—
a
any family proceedings which are within the jurisdiction of county courts; or
b
any specified description of such proceedings,
shall be allocated to specified judges or to specified descriptions of judge.
2
Any such direction shall have effect regardless of any rules of court.
3
Where any directions have been given under this section allocating any proceedings to specified judges, the validity of anything done by a judge in, or in relation to, the proceedings shall not be called into question by reason only of the fact that he was not a specified judge.
4
For the purposes of subsection (1) “county court” includes the principal registry of the Family Division of the High Court in so far as it is treated as a county court.
5
In this section—
“family proceedings” has the same meaning as in the [1984 c. 42.] Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 and also includes any other proceedings which are family proceedings for the purposes of the [1989 c. 41.] Children Act 1989;
“judge” means any person who—
- a
is capable of sitting as a judge for a county court district;
- b
is a district judge, an assistant district judge or a deputy district judge; or
- c
is a district judge of the principal registry of the Family Division of the High Court; and
- a
“specified” means specified in the directions.