Senior Courts Act 1981

Changes over time for: Section 91

Alternative versions:

Changes to legislation:

Senior Courts Act 1981, Section 91 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 28 November 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

s. 31(3)(a) word inserted by 2015 c. 2 s. 85(1)(a)
s. 31(3)(a) word inserted by 2015 c. 2 s. 85(1)(a)
s. 31(3)(b) and word inserted by 2015 c. 2 s. 85(1)(b)
s. 31(3)(b) and word inserted by 2015 c. 2 s. 85(1)(b)
s. 31(3A)(3B) inserted by 2015 c. 2 s. 85(2)
s. 31(3A)(3B) inserted by 2015 c. 2 s. 85(2)

91 Deputies and temporary appointments.E+W

(1)If it appears to [F1the Lord Chief Justice] that it is expedient to do so in order to facilitate the disposal of business in the [F2Senior Courts] [F3or any other court or tribunal to which a person appointed under this subsection may be deployed], he may appoint a person—

(a)to act as a deputy for any person holding an office listed in column 1 of Part II F4. . . of Schedule 2; or

(b)to act as a temporary additional officer in any such office,

during such period or on such occasions as [F5[F6the Lord Chancellor may] think fit].

[F7[F8(1ZA)The Lord Chief Justice may not appoint a holder of relevant office under subsection (1) without the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor.]

(1ZB)Section 85 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (selection of certain office holders) does not apply to an appointment to which subsection (1ZA) applies.

(1ZC)In this section a “holder of relevant office” means a person who holdsF9...—

(a)any office listed in column 1 of Part 2 or 3 of Schedule 2, or

(b)the office of district judge.]

[F10(1A)If it appears to the Lord Chancellor that it is expedient to do so in order to facilitate the disposal of business in the Senior Courts, he may appoint a person—

(a)to act as a deputy for any person holding an office listed in column 1 of Part 3 of Schedule 2; or

(b)to act as a temporary additional officer in any such office,

during such period or on such occasions as the Lord Chancellor may think fit.]

(2)F11... A person shall not be qualified for appointment under this section if the office in which he would act by virtue of the appointment is one to which he is not qualified for permanent appointment.

F12(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)Every person, while acting under this section, shall have all the jurisdiction of a person permanently appointed to the office in which he is acting.

F13(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6)The Lord Chancellor may, out of money provided by Parliament, pay to any person appointed under this section such remuneration and allowances as he may, with the concurrence of the Minister for the Civil Service, determine.

[F14(6A)A person appointed under subsection (1) may be removed from office—

(a)only by the Lord Chancellor with the agreement of the Lord Chief Justice, and

(b)only on—

(i)the ground of inability or misbehaviour, or

(ii)a ground specified in the person's terms of appointment.

(6B)Subject to subsection (6C), the period of a person's appointment under subsection (1) (including a period already extended under this subsection) must be extended by the Lord Chancellor before its expiry; and for this purpose a person appointed under subsection (1) to act under this section on certain occasions is to be treated as having been appointed for a period that expires when the occasions end.

(6C)Extension under subsection (6B)—

(a)requires the person's agreement,

(b)is to be for such period as the Lord Chancellor thinks fit, and

(c)may be refused on—

(i)the ground of inability or misbehaviour, or

(ii)a ground specified in the person's terms of appointment,

but only with any agreement of the Lord Chief Justice, or a nominee of the Lord Chief Justice, that may be required by those terms.

(6D)Subject to the preceding provisions of this section (but subject in the first place to the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993), a person appointed under subsection (1) is to hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms of the person's appointment, which are to be such as the Lord Chancellor may determine.]

[F15(7)The Lord Chief Justice may nominate a [F16senior judge (as defined in section 109(5)] of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005) to exercise his functions under [F17subsection (1) or (6A)(a)].]