47.—(1) For the purposes of or in relation to any jurisdiction exercisable by county courts, any such rules as are referred to in section 21(1) and (2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 [1954 c.33] or Article 48 may—
(a)be made by the Rules Committee in accordance with Article 46 and the following provisions of this Article; and
(b)be known as “county court rules”.
[F1(2) County court rules must be certified under the hand of the members of the Rule Committee, or any three or more of them.
(3) After making and certifying county court rules the Rules Committee must submit them to the Lord Chancellor.
(4) The Lord Chancellor must, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, allow or disallow county court rules submitted to him.
(5) County court rules have effect only if the Lord Chancellor allows them.
(6) If the Lord Chancellor disallows county court rules, the Lord Chancellor must give the Rules Committee written reasons why he has disallowed them.
(7) County court rules allowed by the Lord Chancellor shall come into operation on such day as the Lord Chancellor shall direct.
(8) Paragraph (9) applies if the Lord Chancellor gives the Rules Committee written notice that he thinks it is expedient for county court rules to include provision that would achieve a purpose specified in the notice.
(9) The Rules Committee must make such county court rules as it considers necessary to achieve the specified purpose.
(10) Those rules must be—
(a)made within a reasonable period after the Lord Chancellor gives notice under paragraph (8);
(b)made in accordance with this Article.]
F1Art. 47(2)-(10) substituted (3.4.2006) for art. 47(2)(3) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(2), 148(1), Sch. 5 para. 57; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 12(a)