The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Appeals N.I.

166.—(1) Subject to any express provisions to the contrary made by or under this Order, an appeal shall lie to the High Court against—

(a) the making by a county court of any order under this Order; or

(b) any refusal by a county court to make such an order,

as if the decision had been made in the exercise of the jurisdiction conferred by Part III of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980F1 and the appeal were brought under Article 60 of that Order.

(2) An appeal shall not lie to the High Court under paragraph (1)—

(a) on an appeal from a court of summary jurisdiction; or

(b) where the county court is a divorce county court exercising jurisdiction under the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978F2 in the same proceedings[F3 or

(c) where the county court is a civil partnership proceedings county court exercising jurisdiction under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 in the same proceedings

].

(3) Subject to any express provisions to the contrary made by or under this Order, an appeal shall lie to the county court against—

(a) the making by a court of summary jurisdiction of any order under this Order; or

(b) any refusal by a court of summary jurisdiction to make such an order.

(4) If the court of summary jurisdiction referred to in paragraph (3) is a family proceedings court—

(a) the county court to which the appeal under that paragraph lies shall be such county court as may be specified for the purposes of this paragraph;

(b) section 178 of the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 shall not apply where such a county court deals with such an appeal;

and in sub-paragraph (a) “specified” has the meaning given in paragraph 4(2) of Schedule 7.

(5) Where a court of summary jurisdiction has power, in relation to any proceedings under this Order, to decline jurisdiction because it considers that the case can more conveniently be dealt with by another court, no appeal shall lie against any exercise of that power by that court of summary jurisdiction.

(6) No appeal shall lie in relation to an interim order for periodical payments made under Schedule 1.

(7) In paragraphs (8) to (13) “appellate court” means the High Court or the county court as the case may be.

(8) On an appeal under this Article, the appellate court may make such orders as may be necessary to give effect to its determination of the appeal.

(9) Where an order is made under paragraph (8) the appellate court may also make such incidental or consequential orders as appear to it to be just.

(10) Where an appeal under this Article relates to an order for the making of periodical payments, the appellate court may order that its determination of the appeal shall have effect from such date as it thinks fit to specify in the order.

(11) The date so specified must not be earlier than the earliest date allowed in accordance with rules of court made for the purposes of this Article.

(12) Where, on an appeal under this Article in respect of an order requiring a person to make periodical payments, the appellate court reduces the amount of those payments or discharges the order—

(a) it may order the person entitled to the payments to pay to the person making them such sum in respect of payments already made as that court thinks fit; and

(b) if any arrears are due under the order for periodical payments, it may remit payment of the whole, or part, of those arrears.

(13) Any order of the appellate court made on an appeal under this Article (other than one directing that an application be re-heard by the county court or a court of summary jurisdiction) shall, for the purposes—

(a) of the enforcement of the order; and

(b) of any power to vary, revive or discharge orders,

be treated as if it were an order of the court from which the appeal was brought and not an order of the appellate court.

(14) The Lord Chancellor may[F4 , after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice,] by order make provision as to the circumstances in which appeals may be made against decisions taken by courts on questions arising in connection with the transfer, or proposed transfer, of proceedings by virtue of any order under paragraph 2 of Schedule 7.

(15) Except to the extent provided for in any order made under paragraph (14), no appeal may be made against any decision of a kind mentioned in that paragraph.

F1 1980 NI 3

F2 1978 NI 15

F3 2004 c. 33

F4 Words in art. 166(14) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(2), 148(1), Sch. 5 para. 96; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 12(b)