The County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2001 No. 67

COUNTY COURTS

The County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001

Made

17th February 2001

To be laid before Parliament

Coming into operation in accordance with Article 1

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Article 22(1) of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980(1), after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, hereby makes the following Order:—

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001 and shall come into operation—

(a) for the purpose of Article 3(a), on 5th September 2001; and

(b) for the purpose of Article 3(b), on 19th March 2001.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order, “the principal Order” means the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980.

Increase of financial limits of civil jurisdiction of county courts

3.  Article 30 of the principal Order, shall be amended as follows—

(a) in paragraph (1) for the figure of “£3,000” there shall be substituted the figure of “£5,000”; and

(b) in paragraph (3) for the figure of “£1,000” there shall be substituted the figure of “£2,000”.

Revocation

4.  The entry relating to Article 30(1) of the principal Order in the Schedule to the County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1993(2) and the entry relating to Article 30(3) of the principal Order in the Schedule to the County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 1992(3) are hereby revoked.

Irvine of Lairg, C.

Dated 17th February 2001

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order.)

This Order increases the jurisdiction of district judges in the county courts in Northern Ireland—

(a) from £3,000 to £5,000 in respect of defended actions; and

(b) from £1,000 to £2,000 in respect of arbitrations (small claims).

(1)

S.I. 1980/397 (N.I. 3)

(2)

S.R. 1993 No. 282

(3)

S.R. 1992 No. 372