Part VU.K. Supplementary and General Provisions

Other supplementary provisionsU.K.

F147Modifications occasioned by decisions of European Court as to meaning or effect of Conventions.U.K.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

48 Matters for which rules of court may provide.U.K.

[F2(1)Rules of court may make provision for regulating the procedure to be followed in any court in connection with any provision of this Act, F3... F4... [F5the 1996 Hague Convention,] [F6the 2005 Hague Convention, the 2007 Hague Convention or the 2019 Hague Convention].]

(2)Rules of court may make provision as to the manner in which and the conditions subject to which a [F7 certificate or judgment—

(a)which has been registered in any court under any provision of this Act F8[F9... or the 2007 Hague Convention,]

F10(aa). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F11(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F12(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

may be enforced,] including provision for enabling the court or, in Northern Ireland the Enforcement of Judgments Office, subject to any conditions specified in the rules, to give directions about such matters.

(3)Without prejudice to the generality of subsections (1) and (2), the power to make rules of court for [F13the family court, the power to make rules of court for magistrates' courts in Northern Ireland,] and in Northern Ireland the power to make Judgment Enforcement Rules, shall include power to make such provision as the rule-making authority considers necessary or expedient for the purposes of the provisions of F14... F15... [F16, the 2007 Hague Convention] and this Act relating to maintenance proceedings and the recognition and enforcement of maintenance orders, and shall in particular include power to make provision as to any of the following matters—

(a)authorising the service in another F17... F18[F19[F20... 2007 Hague Convention State]] of process issued by or for the purposes of [F21the family court or] a magistrates’ court and the service and execution in England and Wales or Northern Ireland of process issued in another F17[F19... F18[F20... 2007 Hague Convention State]];

(b)requesting courts in other parts of the United Kingdom or in other F22... F23[F24... 2007 Hague Convention States] to take evidence there for the purposes of proceedings in England and Wales or Northern Ireland;

(c)the taking of evidence in England and Wales or Northern Ireland in response to similar requests received from such courts;

(d)the circumstances in which and the conditions subject to which any powers conferred under paragraphs (a) to (c) are to be exercised;

(e)the admission in evidence, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed in the rules, of statements contained in documents purporting to be made or authenticated by a court in another part of the United Kingdom or in another F25[F26... F27[F28... 2007 Hague Convention State,]], or by a judge or official of such a court, which purport—

(i)to set out or summarise evidence given in proceedings in that court or to be documents received in evidence in such proceedings or copies of such documents; or

(ii)to set out or summarise evidence taken for the purposes of proceedings in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, whether or not in response to any such request as is mentioned in paragraph (b); or

(iii)to record information relating to the payments made under an order of that court;

(f)the circumstances and manner in which [F29the family court or] a magistrates’ court may or must vary or revoke a maintenance order registered in that court, cancel the registration of, or refrain from enforcing, such an order or transmit such an order for enforcement in another part of the United Kingdom;

(g)the cases and manner in which courts in other parts of the United Kingdom or in other F30... F31[F32[F33... 2007 Hague Convention States]] are to be informed of orders made, or other things done, by or for the purposes of [F34the family court or] a magistrates’ court;

(h)the circumstances and manner in which [F35the family court or] a magistrates’ court may communicate for other purposes with such courts;

(i)the giving of notice of such matters as may be prescribed in the rules to such persons as may be so prescribed and the manner in which such notice is to be given.

(4)Nothing in this section shall be taken as derogating from the generality of any power to make rules of court conferred by any other enactment.

Textual Amendments

F6Words in s. 48(1) substituted (coming into force in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments (2019 Hague Convention etc.) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/713), reg. 17

F13Words in s. 48(3) substituted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 11 para. 86(16)(a); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(e) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F21Words in s. 48(3)(a) inserted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 11 para. 86(16)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(e) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F29Words in s. 48(3)(f) inserted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 11 para. 86(16)(c); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(e) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F34Words in s. 48(3)(g) inserted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 11 para. 86(16)(b); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(e) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

F35Words in s. 48(3)(h) inserted (22.4.2014) by Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22), s. 61(3), Sch. 11 para. 86(16)(c); S.I. 2014/954, art. 2(e) (with art. 3) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2014/956, arts. 3-11)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1S. 48 applied (1.4.1993) by S.I. 1993/604, art. 8.

S. 48 applied (with modifications) (1.3.2002) by S.I. 2001/3928, art. 4

C6S. 48(1) applied (coming into force in accordance with reg. 1(2) of the amending S.I.) by The Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments (2019 Hague Convention etc.) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/713), reg. 19(5)

49 Saving for powers to stay, sist, strike out or dismiss proceedings.U.K.

Nothing in this Act shall prevent any court in the United Kingdom from staying, sisting, striking out or dismissing any proceedings before it, on the ground of forum non conveniens or otherwise, where to do so is not inconsistent with F36...[F37 the 2005 Hague Convention].

Textual Amendments