Courts Act 1971

PART I Criminal Assize Courts and Courts of Quarter Sessions

1 (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, for the purpose of enabling proceedings instituted before the appointed day to be continued thereafter, and for preserving in other respects the continuity of the administration of justice, the Crown Court shall be treated as succeeding to, and being the same court as, all criminal assize courts and, except as respects functions not transferred to the Crown Court, all courts of quarter sessions.

(2) Any order, writ, summons, warrant, recognizance, notice, grant of legal aid or other proceeding or document shall have effect in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) above, and shall be construed, unless the context otherwise requires, in accordance with the Table in Part I of Schedule 8 to this Act.

(3) In any proceedings in which a magistrates' court has committed a person for trial at, or otherwise given a direction as respects the hearing of proceedings by, a specified court of assize or court of quarter sessions, the place and time of trial of the proceedings in the Crown Court shall be determined in accordance with directions given by or on behalf of the Lord Chief Justice with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor.

Part-heard proceedings

2 (1) Any proceeding the hearing of which has begun but is not completed before the appointed day before a criminal court of assize or before a court of quarter sessions shall, subject to the provisions of this paragraph, be continued and disposed of as if this Act had not been passed.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) above shall not affect the provisions of Schedule 3 to this Act as to the provision of court accommodation.

(3) A local or other authority shall be entitled to be reimbursed by the Lord Chancellor in respect of any expenditure incurred by the authority in consequence of sub-paragraph (1) above which, but for the provisions of that sub-paragraph, would have been payable by the Lord Chancellor or some other Minister.

Costs in criminal cases

3 Nothing in this Act shall affect any order made before the appointed day for the payment of costs out of local funds within the meaning of the [1952 c. 48.] Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952, and except so far as the Lord Chancellor otherwise directs, any such costs shall be taxable and recoverable as if this Act had not been passed.

Records of courts of quarter sessions

4 Before the appointed day the clerk of the peace of each court of quarter sessions shall make arrangements, in accordance with directions given by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, for the disposal in accordance with those directions of all records in his custody or control which relate to the judicial business of the court of quarter sessions.