General civil jurisdictionN.I.
10.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, a county court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any action in which the amount claimed, or the value of specific chattels claimed, does not exceed [F1£30,000] , including (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph) any action in which a balance not exceeding [F1£30,000] is claimed—
(a)on foot of an account (including a partnership account);
(b)after allowances made for any amount admitted by the plaintiff to be due by him to the defendant (whether by way of set-off or on foot of a counterclaim or otherwise); or
(c)after the abandonment by the plaintiff of any sum by which the amount alleged to be due to him by the defendant exceeds [F1£30,000] , so, however, that a decree in respect of any cause of action to which this sub-paragraph applies shall be, and be expressed to be, in full discharge of all demands in respect of that cause of action.
(2) A county court shall not have jurisdiction to hear any action claiming damages exceeding[F2 £3,000] in respect of libel or slander.
F3(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F3(3A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(4) A county court shall not have jurisdiction to hear any Admiralty cause or matter.
(5) A county court shall not have jurisdiction to hear any action in which the title to any toll, fair, market or franchise is in question.
(6) A claim for the recovery of any rent or other sum not exceeding[F2 £15,000] due in respect of the use and occupation of any land may be joined with, and heard and determined together with, a claim under this Part for the recovery of that land.
F1Word in art. 10(1) substituted (25.2.2013) by The County Courts (Financial Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/18), arts. 1, 2(a) (with art. 5)
F2SR 1993/282
F3Art. 10(3)(3A) repealed (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 80(6), Sch. 9 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k)(m) (with art. 3)