The Contracting Out of Functions (Court Staff) Order 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order enables the Lord Chancellor to enter into a contract for the provision of staff to provide information technology related services in the county courts and, where such a contract is made, provides that certain functions dischargeable by members of the administrative court service may be discharged by persons employed by the contractor or by their sub-contractors.

These functions are as follows:

(a) The service and issue of summonses where the summons is produced electronically by the Summons Production Centre and the entry of judgment in default and the issue of warrants of execution where the summons was so produced and the entry and enforcement of judgment is undertaken by the computerised County Court Bulk Centre. (The functions conferred by sections 85(2) and (3) and 103(1) of the Act on the district judge are devolved to court staff by the County Court (Amendment) Rules 1996, S.I. 1996/2181.)

(b) The sending of copies of attachment of earnings orders where those orders are produced centrally by computer on behalf of the courts making the orders.