(1)For the purposes of this Act a “designated" county court is one designated for the time being for those purposes by an order made by the Lord Chancellor.
(2)An order under subsection (1) designating any county court for the purposes of this Act shall assign to that court as its district for those purposes any county court district or two or more county court districts.
(3)A designated county court or a sheriff court shall have jurisdiction to entertain proceedings under this Act with respect to an act done on a ship, aircraft or hovercraft outside its district, including such an act done outside Great Britain.
[F1(3A)A designated county court or a sheriff court shall have jurisdiction to entertain proceedings under this Act with respect to an act done outside the United Kingdom where section 19B applies in relation to such an act by virtue of section 27(1A).]
(4)In any proceedings under this Act in a designated county court or a sheriff court the judge or sheriff shall, unless with the consent of the parties he sits without assessors, be assisted by two assessors appointed from a list of persons prepared and maintained by the Secretary of State, being persons appearing to the Secretary of State to have special knowledge and experience of problems connected with relations between persons of different racial groups.
(5)The remuneration of assessors appointed under subsection (4) shall be at such rate as may, with the approval of [F2the Treasury], be determined by the Lord Chancellor (for proceedings in England and Wales) or the Lord President of the Court of Session (for proceedings in Scotland).
(6)Without prejudice to section 74(3), an order for the discontinuance of the jurisdiction of any county court under this Act, whether wholly or within a part of the district assigned to it for the purposes of this Act, may include provision with respect to any proceedings under this Act commenced in that court before the order comes into operation.
Textual Amendments
F1S. 67(3A) inserted (2.4.2001) by 2000 c. 34, s. 9(1), Sch. 2 para. 12 (with s. 10(5)); S.I. 2001/566, art. 2(1)
F2Words substituted by S.I. 1981/1670, arts. 2(2), 3(5)