Administration of Justice Act 1977

23 Jurisdiction of ancient courts

(1) The following courts, namely—

(a) any Court of a description specified in Part I of Schedule 4 to this Act except—

(i) the Estray Court for the Lordship of Denbigh, and

(ii) the court leet for the Manor of Laxton, and

(b) the courts specified in Part II of that Schedule,

being the courts which appear to the Lord Chancellor to have, but not to exercise, jurisdiction to hear and determine legal proceedings, shall cease to have any jurisdiction to hear and determine legal proceedings; but any such court may continue to sit and transact such other business, if any, as was customary for it immediately before the coming into force of this section, and in the case of the courts specified in Part III of Schedule 4 to this Act the business that is to be treated as having been customary shall (apart from business relating to the appointment of officers of the court) be the business specified in relation to that court in column 2 of that Part.

(2) The descriptions of courts in Part I of Schedule 4 to this Act include courts held for manors of which the Queen or the Duke of Cornwall is the lord.

(3) Any jurisdiction—

(a) of the Court of the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, and

(b) of the Cambridge University Chancellor's Court,

other than that which presently exists under the statutes of those universities, is hereby abolished.

(4) The Lord Chancellor may by order make any incidental or transitional provision which he considers expedient in consequence of this section and may by such order provide—

(a) for enabling any jurisdiction appearing to him to have been formerly exercised by a court specified in Part I or II of Schedule 4 to this Act to be exercised instead by the High Court, the Crown Court, a county court or a magistrates' court; and

(b) for such amendments or repeals of provisions of any local Act as appear to him to be required in consequence of this section.

(5) The power to make orders under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament; and any such order may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order made under the power.