Courts and Legal Services Act 1990

74 District judges

(1) The offices of—

(a) registrar, assistant registrar and deputy registrar for each county court district; and

(b) district registrar, assistant district registrar and deputy district registrar for each district registry of the High Court,

shall become the offices of district judge, assistant district judge and deputy district judge respectively.

(2) The office of registrar of the principal registry of the Family Division of the High Court shall become the office of district judge of the principal registry of the Family Division.

(3) Any reference in any enactment, instrument or other document to an office which is, or includes, one to which this section applies shall be construed as a reference to, or (as the case may be) as including a reference to, that office by its new name.

(4) In section 14 of the [1984 c. 28.] County Courts Act 1984 (power of judge to impose penalty for an assault on an officer of the court) after subsection (2) there shall be inserted—

“(3) A district judge, assistant district judge or deputy district judge shall have the same powers under this section as a judge.”

(5) In section 55 of that Act (power of judge to impose penalty for refusal to give evidence) after subsection (4) there shall be inserted—

“(4A) A district judge, assistant district judge or deputy district judge shall have the same powers under this section as a judge.”

(6) In section 118 of that Act (power of judge to commit for contempt) after subsection (2) there shall be inserted—

“(3) A district judge, assistant district judge or deputy district judge shall have the same powers under this section in relation to proceedings before him as a judge.”

(7) In section 42 of the [1984 c. 42.] Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (which allows certain county court proceedings to be taken in the principal registry of the Family Division) the following subsection shall be inserted after subsection (4)—

“(4A) Where a district judge of the principal registry is exercising jurisdiction in any matrimonial cause or matter which could be exercised by a district judge of a county court, he shall have the same powers in relation to those proceedings as if he were a district judge of a county court and the proceedings were in a county court.”