Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978

95 County courts and county court divisions

For sections 1 and 2 of the [1959 c. 25 (N.I.).] County Courts Act (Northern Ireland) 1959 there shall be substituted the following sections—

“1 County courts to be held for divisions.

(1) For the purposes of this Act, Northern Ireland shall be divided into such divisions as the Lord Chancellor may by order specify.

(2) A court shall be held for each such division at such place or places as may be specified in directions given under section 2.

(3) A court held under subsection (2) shall—

(a) subject to subsection (4), be called a county court and be a court of record ;

(b) have, throughout the whole of the division for which it is held, the jurisdiction and powers conferred on a county court by this Act or any other statutory provision.

(4) The county court so held for the division which is or includes—

(a) the area of the city of Belfast shall be called the Belfast Recorder's Court;

(b) the area of the city of Londonderry shall be called the Londonderry Recorder's Court.

2 Provision as to holding of courts.

The Lord Chancellor may give directions as to—

(a) the places at which county courts are to be held;

(b) the number of ordinary sittings of county courts which are to be held each year;

(c) the ordinary hours of sitting of county courts;

(d) the nature of the business to be transacted by any county court at any place;

(e) the cancellation of any sitting of a county court for which provision has been made under this Act where there is no, or insufficient, business to be transacted at that sitting; and

(f) such other incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary matters as appeal to the Lord Chancellor to be necessary or proper.”.