(1)Any declaration made under section 181, and any application for such a declaration, must be in the form prescribed by family proceedings rules.
(2)Family proceedings rules may make provision—
(a)as to the information required to be given by any applicant for a declaration under section 181;
(b)requiring notice of an application under section 181 to be served on the Attorney General and on persons who may be affected by any declaration applied for.
(3)No proceedings under section 181 affects any final judgment or order already pronounced or made by any court of competent jurisdiction.
(4)The court hearing an application under section 181 may direct that the whole or any part of the proceedings must be heard in private.
(5)An application for a direction under subsection (4) must be heard in private unless the court otherwise directs.
(6)Family proceedings rules must make provision for an appeal to the Court of Appeal from any declaration made by a county court under section 181 or from the dismissal of an application under that section, upon a point of law, a question of fact or the admission or rejection of any evidence.
(7)Subsection (6) does not affect Article 61 of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980 (S.I. 1980/397 (N.I. 3)) (cases stated).
(8)In this section “family proceedings rules” means family proceedings rules made under Article 12 of the Family Law (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/1576 (N.I. 6)).
Commencement Information
I1S. 184 wholly in force at 5.12.2005; s. 184 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 263; s. 184(1) in force at 5.9.2005 for certain purposes by S.I. 2005/2399, art. 2, Sch. and otherwise 5.12.2005 insofar as not already in force by S.I. 2005/3255, art. 2(1), Sch.; s. 184(2)(6)(8) in force at 5.9.2005 by S.I. 2005/2399, art. 2, Sch.; s. 184(3)-(5)(7) in force at 5.12.2005 insofar as not already in force by S.I. 2005/3255, art. 2(1), Sch.