The Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980 (S.R. 1980 No. 346) to—

• amend Order 1 to assign applications under section 96AA of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court;

• amend Order 11, Order 23 and to insert an new Part IIIA into Order 71 to ensure that the provisions in the 1980 Rules governing procedure in relation to the recognition and enforcement of judgments between courts in Northern Ireland and courts in other EU member states are consistent with Regulation (EU) No. 1215/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (recast), as amended from time to time and as applied pursuant to the Agreement made on 19 October 2005 between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on the jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters;

• make minor amendments to Order 22 to update the references to Order 25;

• amend Order 55 to make provision for applications to the High Court under section 96AA of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for an order that the applicant should cease to be subject to the notification requirements imposed by the 2003 Act; and

• amend Order 106 to remove automatic anonymity for solicitors who are subject to proceedings in the High Court under the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.