The Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) 2025

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—

• make procedure rules for the operation of the 2019 Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (“the 2019 Convention”) in Northern Ireland. In particular, the rules make provision relating to the registration of judgments from states which are Contracting States to the 2019 Convention for recognition or enforcement in Northern Ireland, for the issuance of certificates for judgments made in Northern Ireland for the purpose of recognition or enforcement in other Contracting States and for set aside applications for registration decisions; and

• amend the rules which make provision for the operation of the 2005 Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements (“the 2005 Convention”) to make them consistent with the provisions being adopted for the 2019 Convention and to reflect changes made in The Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments (2019 Hague Convention etc.) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/713). Rule 2 provides that, if an application has been made to register a judgment under the 2005 Convention before these Rules come into force, Order 71 will continue to have effect as though the amendments made by these Rules had not been made in proceedings relating to that application.