Magistrates' Courts Act 1980

Rules about juvenile courts

146 Rules relating to juvenile court panels and composition of juvenile courts

(1) Without prejudice to the generality of the power to make rules under section 144 above relating to the procedure and practice to be followed by magistrates' courts, provision may be made by such rules with respect to any of the following matters, namely.—

(a) the formation and revision of juvenile court panels, that is to say, panels of justices specially qualified to deal with juvenile cases and the eligibility of justices to be members of such panels ;

(b) the appointment of persons as chairmen of juvenile courts; and

(c) the composition of juvenile courts.

(2) Rules making any such provisions as are referred to in subsection (1) above may confer powers on the Lord Chancellor with respect to any of the matters specified in the rules and may, in particular, provide for the appointment of juvenile court panels by him and for the removal from a juvenile court panel of any justice who, in his opinion, is unsuitable to serve on a juvenile court.

(3) Rules made by virtue of this section may make different provision in relation to different areas for which juvenile court panels are formed ; and in the application of this section to the county palatine of Lancaster, for any reference in subsection (2) above to the Lord Chancellor there shall be substituted a reference to the Chancellor of the Duchy.

(4) Nothing in this section or in any rules made under section 144 above shall affect—

(a) the areas for which juvenile court panels are formed and juvenile courts are constituted ;

(b) the provisions of Part I of Schedule 2 to the [1963 c. 37.] Children and Young Persons Act 1963 (and, as it has effect by virtue of section 17(1) of that Act, Part I of Schedule 2 to the [1933 c. 12.] Children and Young Persons Act 1933) with respect to the making of recommendations and orders relating to the formation of combined juvenile court panels; or

(c) the provisions of paragraph 14 of that Schedule relating to the divisions of the metropolitan area for which juvenile courts sit;

but rules under section 144 above may repeal, either generally or with respect to any part of the metropolitan area, any provision contained in paragraphs 15 to 18 of that Schedule (which contain provisions applicable in the metropolitan area with respect to certain of the matters referred to in subsection (1) above) and in subsections (2) and (3) of section 12 of the [1964 c. 42.] Administration of Justice Act 1964 (which amend those paragraphs).

(5) In this section " the metropolitan area " means the inner London area and the City of London.