The Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2006

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Rules amend the Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 322). They remove the requirement to lodge a bundle of pleadings in undefended causes and make minor amendments consequential to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Where there is an application for ancillary relief which includes an application for a pension sharing order or a pension attachment order, the Rules provide for information to be given to the other party by the party with pension rights in certain circumstances. The circumstances relate to the involvement of the Board of the Pension Protection Fund with the pension arrangement. The Pension Protection Fund was established by the Pensions Act 2004 (c. 35) (“the Pensions Act”). The Board pays compensation to members of certain pension schemes when a qualifying insolvency event in relation to the employer occurs and there are insufficient assets in the pension scheme to cover the levels of compensation which would be payable by the Board of the Pension Protection Fund under the Pensions Act or the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I.2005/255 (N.I. 1)).