(1)Any jurisdiction and powers conferred by this or any other Act—
(a)on a county court; or
(b)on the judge of a county court,
may be exercised by any judge of the court.
(2)Subsection (1) applies to jurisdiction and powers conferred on all county courts or judges of county courts or on any particular county court or the judge of any particular county court.
(1)Subject to what follows, in any proceedings in a county court the court may make any order which could be made by the High Court if the proceedings were in the High Court.
(2)Any order made by a county court may be –
(a)absolute or conditional;
(b)final or interlocutory.
(3)A county court shall not have power –
(a)to order mandamus, certiorari or prohibition; or
(b)to make any order of a prescribed kind.
(4)Regulations under subsection (3) –
(a)may provide for any of their provisions not to apply in such circumstances or descriptions of case as may be specified in the regulations;
(b)may provide for the transfer of the proceedings to the High Court for the purpose of enabling an order of a kind prescribed under subsection (3) to be made;
(c)F2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(d)may make provision amending or repealing any provision made by or under any enactment, so far as may be necessary or expedient in consequence of the regulations.
[F3(4A)If regulations are made under subsection (3), rules may be made in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 about procedure relevant to the matters prescribed in the regulations.]
(5)In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made [F4under this section by the Lord Chancellor after consulting the Lord Chief Justice].
(6)The power to make regulations under this section shall be exercised by statutory instrument.
(7)No such statutory instrument shall be made unless a draft of the instrument has been approved by both Houses of Parliament.]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 38 commencing "Subject to what follows" substituted (1.7.1991) for s. 38 commencing "Every county court" and s. 39 by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 3
F2S. 38(4)(c) repealed (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 12(2), 146, 148(1), Sch. 1 para. 17(2), Sch. 18 Pt. 1; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 paras. 7, 30(a)
F3S. 38(4A) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 12(2), 148(1), Sch. 1 para. 17(3); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 7
F4Words in s. 38(5) substituted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(1), 148(1), Sch. 4 para. 167; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(r)
A judge shall have jurisdiction in any pending proceedings to make any order or exercise any authority or jurisdiction which, if it related to an action or proceeding pending in the High court, might be made or exercised by a judge of the High Court in chambers.