(This note is not part of the Rules.)
These Rules amend the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981 so as to –
(a)implement recommendations 1 (overriding objective), 9 (service outside the jurisdiction), 10 (default judgment), 12 (removal of small claims to the county court), 13 (pleadings), 15 (expert evidence), 21 (description and title), 22 (rules of court) and 38 (removal of restrictions on district judges) of the Final Report of the Civil Justice Reform Group;
(b)take account of the recent increases in the small claims and the district judges' defended civil bill jurisdiction; and
(c)delete the provisions relating to applications for declarations of legitimacy and legitimation. The relevant procedures are now contained in the Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996.