County Courts Act 1984

Transfer of proceedings E+W

[F1 40 Transfer of proceedings to county court. E+W

(1) Where the High Court is satisfied that any proceedings before it are required by any provision of a kind mentioned in subsection (8) to be in a county court it shall–

(a) order the transfer of the proceedings to a county court; or

(b) if the court is satisfied that the person bringing the proceedings knew, or ought to have known, of that requirement, order that they be struck out.

(2) Subject to any such provision, the High Court may order the transfer of any proceedings before it to a county court.

(3) An order under this section may be made either on the motion of the High Court itself or on the application of any party to the proceedings.

(4) Proceedings transferred under this section shall be transferred to such county court as the High Court considers appropriate, having taken into account the convenience of the parties and that of any other persons likely to be affected and the state of business in the courts concerned.

(5) The transfer of any proceedings under this section shall not affect any right of appeal from the order directing the transfer.

(6) Where proceedings for the enforcement of any judgment or order of the High Court are transferred under this section–

(a) the judgment or order may be enforced as if it were a judgment or order of a county court; and

(b) subject to subsection (7), it shall be treated as a judgment or order of that court for all purposes.

(7) Where proceedings for the enforcement of any judgment or order of the High Court are transferred under this section—

(a) the powers of any court to set aside, correct, vary or quash a judgment or order of the High Court, and the enactments relating to appeals from such a judgment or order, shall continue to apply; and

(b) the powers of any court to set aside, correct, vary or quash a judgment or order of a county court, and the enactments relating to appeals from such a judgment or order, shall not apply.

(8) The provisions referred to in subsection (1) are any made–

(a) under section 1 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990; or

(b) by or under any other enactment.

(9) This section does not apply to family proceedings within the meaning of Part V of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 40 substituted (1.7.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 2(1); S.I. 1991/1364, art. 2,Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 40(2) restricted by S.I. 1991/724, art. 7(5)

41 Transfer to High Court by order of High Court. E+W

(1) If at any stage in proceedings commenced in a county court or transferred to a county court under section 40, the High Court thinks it desirable that the proceedings, or any part of them, should be heard and determined in the High Court, it may order the transfer to the High court of the proceedings or, as the case may be, of that part of them.

(2) The power conferred by subsection (1) is without prejudice to section 29 of the M1 Supreme Court Act 1981 (power of High Court to issue prerogative orders) [F2 but shall be exercised in relation to family proceedings (within the meaning of Part V of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984) in accordance with any directions given under section 37 of that Act (directions as to distribution and transfer of family business and proceedings).]

[F3 (3) The power conferred by subsection (1) shall be exercised subject to any provision made–

(a) under section 1 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990; or

(b) by or under any other enactment.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Words inserted by Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (c. 42, SIF 49:3), s. 46(1), Sch. 1 para. 30

F3 S. 41(3) added (1.7.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 2(2); S.I. 1991/1364, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2 S. 41 restricted by Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48, SIF 67A) ss. 289, 305(3)

C3 S. 41(1) restricted by S.I. 1991/724, art. 7(5)

Marginal Citations

M1 1981 c. 54.

[F4 42 Transfer to High Court by order of a county court. E+W

(1) Where a county court is satisfied that any proceedings before it are required by any provision of a kind mentioned in subsection (7) to be in the High Court, it shall–

(a) order the transfer of the proceedings to the High Court; or

(b) if the court is satisfied that the person bringing the proceedings knew, or ought to have known, of that requirement, order that they be struck out.

(2) Subject to any such provision, a county court may order the transfer of any proceedings before it to the High Court.

(3) An order under this section may be made either on the motion of the court itself or on the application of any party to the proceedings.

(4) The transfer of any proceedings under this section shall not affect any right of appeal from the order directing the transfer.

(5) Where proceedings for the enforcement of any judgment or order of a county court are transferred under this section–

(a) the judgment or order may be enforced as if it were a judgment or order of the High Court; and

(b) subject to subsection (6), it shall be treated as a judgment or order of that court for all purposes.

(6) Where proceedings for the enforcement of any judgment or order of a county court are transferred under this section—

(a) the powers of any court to set aside, correct, vary or quash a judgment or order of a county court, and the enactments relating to appeals from such a judgment or order, shall continue to apply; and

(b) the powers of any court to set aside, correct, vary or quash a judgment or order of the High Court, and the enactments relating to appeals from such a judgment or order, shall not apply.

(7) The provisions referred to in subsection (1) are any made–

(a) under section 1 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990; or

(b) by or under any other enactment.

(8) This section does not apply to family proceedings within the meaning of Part V of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984.]

Textual Amendments

F4 S. 42 substituted (1.7.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 2(3); S.I. 1991/1364, art. 2,Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C4 S. 42(2) restricted by S.I. 1991/724, art. 7(5)

F5 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E+W

Textual Amendments

F5 S. 43 repealed (1.7.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), s. 125(7), Sch. 20; S.I. 1991/1364, art. 2, Sch.

F6 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E+W

Textual Amendments

F6 S. 44 repealed (1.7.1991) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), s. 125(7), Sch. 20; S.I. 1991/1364, art. 2, Sch.

45 Costs in transferred cases. E+W

(1) Where an action, counterclaim or matter is ordered to be transferred—

(a) from the High Court to a county court; or

(b) from a county court to the High Court; or

(c) from one county court to another county court,

the costs of the whole proceedings both before and after the transfer shall, subject to any order of the court which ordered the transfer, be in the discretion of the court to which the proceedings are transferred; and that court shall have power to make orders with respect to the costs F7 . . ., and the costs of the whole proceedings shall be taxed in that court.

F8 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F7 Words in s. 45(1) repealed (1.6.1992) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), s. 125(7), Sch. 20; S.I. 1992/1221, art. 2,Sch.

F8 S. 45(2) repealed (1.6.1992) by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 76:1), s. 125(7), Sch. 20; S.I. 1992/1221, art. 2,Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 S. 45 excluded by S.I. 1988/1328, rule 23