Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (c. 43)

Part II E+W Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure

Domestic proceedings E+W

65 Meaning of domestic proceedings. E+W

(1) In this Act “ [F1 family proceedings]” means proceedings under any of the following enactments, that is to say—

(a) the M1 Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act 1920;

(b) section 43 F2 of the M2 National Assistance Act 1948;

(c) section 3 of the M3 Marriage Act 1949;

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

F4 (e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F5 (ee) section 35 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973;]

(f) Part I of the M4 Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1972;

F4 (g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(h) the M5 Adoption Act 1976, except proceedings under section 34 of that Act;

(i) section 18 F2 of the M6 Supplementary Benefits Act 1976;

(j) Part I of the M7 Domestic Proceedings and Magistrates" Courts Act 1978;

F6 (k) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(l) section 60 of this Act;

[F7 (m) Part I of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982, so far as that Part relates to the recognition or enforcement of maintenance orders;]

F8 (m) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F9 (m) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F10 (n) the Children Act 1989]

[F11 (n) section 106 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992;]

[F12 (o) section 20 (so far as it provides, by virtue of an order under section 45 F13 , for appeals to be made to a court) or section 27 of the Child Support Act 1991;] except that, subject to subsection (2) below, it does not include—

(i) proceedings for the enforcement of any order made, confirmed or registered under any of those enactments;

(ii) proceedings for the variation of any provision for the periodical payment of money contained in an order made, confirmed or registered under any of those enactments; or

(iii) proceedings on an information in respect of the commission of an offence under any of those enactments.

[F14 (p) Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996;]

(2) The court before which there fall to be heard any of the following proceedings, that is to say—

(a) proceedings (whether under this Act or any other enactment) for the enforcement of any order made, confirmed or registered under any of the enactments specified in paragraphs (a) to (k) [F15 (m), (n) and (p)] of subsection (1) above;

(b) proceeding (whether under this Act or any other enactment) for the variation of any provision for the making of periodical payments contained in an order made, confirmed or registered under any of those enactments;

(c) proceedings for an attachment of earnings order to secure maintenance payments within the meaning of the M8 Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 or for the discharge or variation of such an order; or

(d) proceedings for the enforcement of a maintenance order which is registered in a magistrates’ court under Part II of the M9 Maintenance Orders Act 1950 or Part I of the M10 Maintenance Orders Act 1958 or for the variation of the rate of payments specified by such an order.

[F16 (e) section 20 (so far as it provides, by virtue of an order under section 45, for appeals to be made to a court) or section 27 of the Child Support Act 1991.]

may if it thinks fit order that those proceedings and any other proceedings being heard therewith shall, notwithstanding anything in subsection (1) above, be treated as [F1 family proceedings]for the purposes of this Act.

(3) Where the same parties are parties—

(a) to proceedings which are [F1 family proceedings]by virtue of subsection (1) above, and

(b) to proceedings which the court has power to treat as [F1 family proceedings]by virtue of subsection (2) above,

and the proceedings are heard together by a magistrates’ court, the whole of those proceedings shall be treated as [F1 family proceedings]for the purposes of this Act.

(4) No appeal shall lie from the making of, or refusal to make, an order under subsection (2) above.

(5) Until the M11 Adoption Act 1976 comes into force subsection (1) above shall have effect as if for paragraph (h) thereof there were substituted the following paragraph—

“(h) The Adoption Act 1958,the Adoption Act 1960 or Part I of the Children Act 1975, except proceedings under section 42 or 43 of the Adoption Act 1958.”

(6) Until the M12 Child Care Act 1980 comes into force subsection (1) above shall have effect as if for paragraph (k) thereof there were substituted the following paragraph—

“(k) Section 87 or section 88 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 or section 26 of the Children Act 1948.”

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 65(1)(2)(3) substituted (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), ss. 92, 108(6), Sch. 11 Pt. II para. 8(c) (with Sch. 14 para. 1(1)); S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)

F2 Words repealed by Family Law Reform Act 1987 (c. 42, SIF 49:7), s. 33(2)(4), Sch. 3 paras. 1, 6, Sch. 4

F3 S. 65(d) repealed by Family Law Reform Act 1987 (c. 42, SIF 49:7), ss. 33(2)(4), Sch. 3 paras. 1, 6, Sch. 4

F4 S. 65(e)(g) repealed (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(6)(7), Sch. 15 (with Sch. 14 paras. 1(1), 27(4)); S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2).

F5 S. 65(ee) inserted by Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (c. 42, SIF 49:3), s. 44

F6 S. 65(k) repealed (14.10.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1, 82), ss. 116, 125(7), Sch. 16 para. 40, Sch. 20; S.I. 1991/1883, art. 3, Sch.

F7 S. 65(1)(m) commencing “Part I of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982" inserted (1.1.1987) by Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982 (c. 27, SIF 45:3), s. 15(4), Sch. 12 Pt. I para. 7(a)

F8 S. 65(1)(m) commencing “section 24" (which was added (E.W.S.) (11.4.1988) by Social Security Act 1986 (c. 50, SIF 113:1), s. 86(1), Sch. 10 Pt. II para. 54) repealed (1.7.1992) by Social Security (Consequential Provisions) Act 1992 (c. 6), ss. 3, 7(2), Sch. 1 (subject as mentioned in Local Government Finance Act 1992 (c. 14), s. 118)

F9 S. 65(1)(m) commencing 'section 4' (which was inserted (1.4.1989) by Family Law Reform Act 1987 (c. 42, SIF 49:7), s. 33(1)(2), Sch. 2 para. 82, Sch. 3 paras. 1, 6) repealed (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(6)(7), Sch. 15 (with Sch. 14 paras. 1(1), 27(4)); S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)

F10 S. 65(1)(n) inserted (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), ss. 92(11), 108(6), Sch. 11 Pt. II para. 8(a) (with Sch. 14 para. 1(1)); S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)

F11 S. 65(1)(n) inserted (1.7.1992) by Social Security (Consequential Provisions) Act 1992 (c. 6), ss. 4, 7(2), Sch. 2 para. 60

F12 S. 65(1)(o) inserted (5.4.1993) by S.I. 1993/623, art. 3, Sch. 2

F13 S.I. 1993/961 provides for appeals on parentage issues to be made to a court instead of to a child support appeals tribunal.

F14 S. 65(1)(p) inserted (1.10.1997) by 1996 c. 27, s. 66(1), Sch. 8 Pt. III para.49 (with Sch. 9 paras. 8, 9, 10); S.I. 1997/1892, art. 3(1)(b)

F15 Words in s. 65(2)(a) substituted (1.10.1997) by virtue of S.I. 1997/1898, art.2

F16 S. 65(2)(e) inserted (5.4.1993) by S.I. 1993/623, art. 3, Sch. 2 para. 2

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 65 excluded (14.10.1991) by Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), s. 60(3); S.I. 1991/2208, art. 2(1), Sch. 1

Marginal Citations

M1 1920 c. 33.

M2 1948 c. 29.

M3 1949 c. 76

M4 1972 c. 18.

M5 1976 c. 36

M6 1976 c. 71.

M7 1978 c. 22.

M8 1971 c. 32.

M9 1950 c. 37.

M10 1958 c. 39

M11 1976 c. 36.

M12 1980 c. 5.