(1)If at any time it appears expedient to the Lord Chancellor that any county court should have Admiralty jurisdiction, it shall be lawful for him, by order—
(a)to appoint that court to have, as from such date as may be specified in the order, such Admiralty jurisdiction as is provided in this Act; and
(b)to assign to that court as its district for Admiralty purposes any part or parts of any county court district or of two or more county court districts.
(2)Where a district has been so assigned to a court as its district for Admiralty purposes, the parts of the sea (if any) adjacent to that district to a distance of 3 miles from the shore thereof shall be deemed to be included in that district, and the judge and all officers of the court shall have jurisdiction and authority for those purposes throughout that district as if it were the district for the court for all purposes.
(3)Where an order is made under this section for the discontinuance of the Admiralty jurisdiction of any county court, whether wholly or within a part of the district assigned to it for Admiralty purposes, provision may be made in the order with respect to any Admiralty proceedings commenced in that court before the order comes into operation.
(4)The power to make orders under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.