Statutory Instruments

1997 No. 2310

SUPREME COURT OF ENGLAND AND WALES

COUNTY COURTS

The Civil Courts (Amendment No. 3) Order 1997

Made

21st September 1997

Laid before Parliament

6th October 1997

Coming into force

Articles 3 and 4(a)

1st December 1997

remaining provisions

10th November 1997

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 2(1) of the County Courts Act 1984(1) and by section 33(1) of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984(2), hereby makes the following Order—

Citation and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Civil Courts (Amendment No. 3) Order 1997 and shall come into force on 10th November 1997, except for articles 3 and 4(a) which shall come into force on 1st December 1997.

Interpretation

2. In this Order, “the 1983 Order” means the Civil Courts Order 1983(3), and a Schedule referred to by number alone means the Schedule so numbered in that Order.

Amendments to the 1983 Order

3. In Schedule 1—

(a)“Braintree” shall be deleted from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Colchester” in the first column; and

(b)“Bishop’s Stortford” shall be deleted from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Harlow” in the first column.

4. In Schedule 3—

(a)the entries relating to “Bishop’s Stortford” and “Braintree” shall be deleted(4) and

(b)“Divorce” shall be inserted in column 2, opposite the entry for “Brecon” in the first column.

Irvine of Lairg, C.

Dated 21st September 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Civil Courts Order 1983 so as to close the County Courts at Bishop’s Stortford and Braintree. In addition, this Order extends divorce jurisdiction to the Brecknock County Court.

(1)

1984 c. 28.

(2)

1984 c. 42.

(3)

S.I. 1983/713; there are no relevant amending instruments.

(4)

Directions given on behalf of the Lord Chancellor under section 2(3) of the County Courts Act 1984 will determine which court districts will include the former districts of the courts closed by this Order with effect from the date on which this Order comes into force.