Courts Act 2003

64 Power to alter judicial titles E+W

(1) The Lord Chancellor may by order—

(a) alter the name of an office listed in subsection (2);

(b) provide for or alter the way in which the holders of any of those offices are to be styled.

(2) The offices are—

• Admiralty Registrar

• F1 ...

• [F2 Chancellor of the High Court]

• [F3 Chief Chancery Master]

• [F3 Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge]

• [F3 Chief Taxing Master]

• Circuit judge

• Deputy Circuit judge

• Deputy district judge appointed under section 102 of the 1981 Act

• Deputy district judge [F4 appointed under section 8 of the County Courts Act 1984]

• [F5 Deputy Head of Civil Justice]

• [F6 Deputy Head of Family Justice]

• Deputy judge of the High Court

• [F7 District judge of the county court]

• District judge of the High Court

• District judge of the principal registry of the Family Division

• District probate registrar

• [F8 Head of Civil Justice]

• [F9 Head of Family Justice]

• [F10 Insolvency and Companies Court Judge]

• Lord Chief Justice

• Master of the Chancery Division

• F11 ...

• Master of the Queen’s Bench Division

• Master of the Rolls

• Ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal

• [F12 President of the Courts of England and Wales]

• [F13 President of the Court of Protection,]

• President of the Family Division

• [F14 President of the Queen's Bench Division]

• Presiding Judge for a Circuit

• Puisne judge of the High Court

• Queen’s Coroner and Attorney and Master of the Crown Office and Registrar of Criminal Appeals

• Recorder

• F15 ...

• [F3 Senior District Judge of the Family Division]

• [F16 Senior Judge of the Court of Protection,]

• [F3 Senior Master of the Queen’s Bench Division]

• Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales

• Taxing Master of the [F17 Senior Courts]

• F18 ...

• Vice-president of the Court of Appeal

• [F19 Vice-president of the Court of Protection.]

• Vice-president of the Queen’s Bench Division.

[F20 (2A) The Lord Chancellor may by order—

(a) alter the name of a relevant office;

(b) provide for or alter the way in which a relevant office is to be styled.

(2B) In subsection (2A) “a relevant office” is a sitting in retirement office under section 123 of the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 for which the corresponding original office is listed in Part 1 of Schedule 3 to that Act.]

(3) The Lord Chancellor may also by order provide for or alter the way in which deputies or temporary additional officers appointed under section [F21 91(1)] of the 1981 Act are to be styled.

[F22 (3A) The Lord Chancellor may make an order under this section only with the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice.]

(4) Before making an order under this section the Lord Chancellor must consult—

F23 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) the Master of the Rolls,

[F24 (ba) the President of the Queen's Bench Division,

(c) the President of the Family Division, and

(d) the Chancellor of the High Court.]

(5) An order under this section may make such provision as the Lord Chancellor considers necessary in consequence of any provision made under subsection (1) [F25 , (2A)] or (3).

(6) The provision that may be made under subsection (5) includes provision amending, repealing or revoking any enactment.

[F26 (7) The Lord Chief Justice may nominate a judicial office holder (as defined in section 109(4) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005) to exercise his functions under this section.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 64(2) omitted (15.7.2013) by virtue of Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 13 para. 89(2)(i); S.I. 2013/1725, art. 2(g)

F2 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(i); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F3 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (20.2.2019) by Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018 (c. 33), ss. 2(3)(a), 4(2)

F4 Words in s. 64(2) substituted (19.7.2007) by Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, (c. 39), ss. 56, 148, {Sch. 11 para. 14}

F5 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(ii); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F6 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(iv); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F7 Words in s. 64(2) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 9 para. 40(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(c) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F8 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(v); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F9 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(vii); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F10 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (26.2.2018) by The Alteration of Judicial Titles (Registrar in Bankruptcy of the High Court) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/130), art. 1, Sch. para. 10(b)

F11 Words in s. 64(2) repealed (1.10.2007) by Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9), ss. 67(1)(2), 68(1)-(3), Sch. 6 para. 47(3)(a), Sch. 7 (with ss. 27, 28, 29, 62); S.I. 2007/1897, art. 2(1)(d)

F12 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(viii); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F13 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (1.10.2007) by Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9), ss. 67(1), 68(1)-(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(b)(ii) (with ss. 27, 28, 29, 62); S.I. 2007/1897, art. 2(1)(d)

F14 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(b)(ix); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F15 Words in s. 64(2) omitted (26.2.2018) by virtue of The Alteration of Judicial Titles (Registrar in Bankruptcy of the High Court) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/130), art. 1, Sch. para. 10(a)

F16 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (1.10.2007) by Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9), ss. 67(1), 68(1)-(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(b)(i) (with ss. 27, 28, 29, 62); S.I. 2007/1897, art. 2(1)(d)

F17 Words in s. 64(2) substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 4; S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2

F18 Words in s. 64(2) repealed (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15, 146, Sch. 4 para. 331(2)(a) {Sch. 18 Pt. 2}; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(y)

F19 Words in s. 64(2) inserted (1.10.2007) by Mental Capacity Act 2005 (c. 9), s. 67(1), 68(1)-(3), Sch. 6 para. 3(b)(iii) (with ss. 27, 28, 29, 62); S.I. 2007/1897, art. 2(1)(d)

F20 S. 64(2A)(2B) inserted (10.3.2022 for specified purposes, 1.10.2022 in so far as not already in force) by Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (c. 7), s. 131(1)(4)(c), Sch. 4 para. 10(2); S.I. 2022/1014, reg. 2(d) (with reg. 3)

F21 Word in s. 64(3) substituted (20.2.2019) by Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Act 2018 (c. 33), ss. 2(3)(b), 4(2)

F22 S. 64(3A) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(3); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F23 S. 64(4)(a) repealed (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15, 146, Sch. 4 para. 331(4)(b)(i), Sch. 18 Pt. 2; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z), 30(b)

F24 S. 64(4)(ba)-(d) substituted (3.4.2006) for s. 64(4)(c)(d) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(4)(b); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)

F25 Word in s. 64(5) inserted (10.3.2022 for specified purposes, 1.10.2022 in so far as not already in force) by Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (c. 7), s. 131(1)(4)(c), Sch. 4 para. 10(3); S.I. 2022/1014, reg. 2(d) (with reg. 3)

F26 S. 64(7) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15, Sch. 4 para. 331(5); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(z)