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Courts Act 1971

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Commencement Orders bringing legislation that affects this Act into force:

2(1)In any enactment or other instrument for any reference or expression in the first column of the Table below there shall be substituted the relevant reference or expression in the second column of the Table.E+W

(2)Sub-paragraph (1) above applies to Acts or instruments passed or made before the appointed date or later.

(3)The preceding provisions of this paragraph apply subject to the provisions of this Act, and only except where the context otherwise requires, and in particular do not apply in relation to a sentence imposed, or other thing done, by a court before the appointed day.

TABLE
ReferenceSubstituted reference

1Court of gaol delivery or of oyer and terminer.E+W

The Crown Court.

2Court of assize, or assizes, where the context does not relate to civil jurisdiction.E+W

The Crown Court.

3Court of assize, or assizes, where the context relates either to criminal or civil jurisdiction, or relates exclusively to civil jurisdiction.E+W

The Crown Court or the High Court, or as the case may be the High Court and not the Crown Court.

4Court of quarter sessions, or committee of a court of quarter sessions, except in relation to functions transferred to some authority other than the Crown Court.E+W

This paragraph applies to references to courts of quarter sessions, however expressed, and applies in particular to any reference to “the next court of quarter sessions”, or to the quarter sessions for any particular area, or to any sessions which, by section 13(14), of the M1Interpretation Act 1889, were included in the expression “court of quarter sessions”.

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Marginal Citations

The Crown Court.

5Judge or commissioner of assize, or judge acting during assizes.E+W

The Crown Court or the High Court, or both, according as the reference is to criminal jurisdiction, or civil jurisdiction, or to both.

6Chairman or deputy chairman of quarter sessions.E+W

The Crown Court.

7Recorder, or deputy, assistant or temporary recorder, of a borough (but not the Recorder of London).E+W

(a)Where the context implies a reference to jurisdiction of the Crown Court, the Crown Court.

(b)Where the context implies a reference to any judicial function not related to a court of quarter sessions (or the Crown Court) such Circuit judge or Recorder as the [F1Lord Chief Justice]F1 may nominate for the purpose.

(c)In any other case, such local authority, member of a local authority or officer of a local authority as the [F1Lord Chief Justice]F1 may nominate.

8County court judge.E+W

A judge assigned to a county court district, or acting as a judge so assigned.

9The judge or chairman of the court where the court is the Crown Court and comprises justices of the peace and the reference was applicable before the appointed day to county quarter sessions and meant the chairman or acting chairman of the bench.E+W

The judge presiding in the Crown Court proceedings.

10Clerk of assize or other officer whose duties related exclusively to the criminal jurisdiction of courts of assize.E+W

The appropriate officer of the Crown Court.

11Clerk of the peace or deputy clerk of the peace, except in relation to functions transferred to local authorities or officers of local authorities.E+W

The appropriate officer of the Crown Court.

12Clerk of the court where the court is the Crown Court.E+W

The appropriate officer of the Crown Court.

13A borough having a separate court of quarter sessions.E+W

A borough which, immediately before the appointed day, had a separate court of quarter sessions.

14Any period limited by reference to the next sitting, or the beginning or end of the next sitting, of a court of quarter sessions.E+W

30 days or such other period as the [F1Lord Chief Justice]F1 may direct.

15Any right to apply to a court of quarter sessions limited to a specified sitting of the court next after, or in the calendar year of, a 21st or other anniversary of an enclosure award or other event.E+W

A right to apply to the Crown Court within twleve months from the anniversary. The Crown Court may modify or supersede any associated time limit for the giving of notice of the application, or for the confirmation of any decision on the application.

16Any reference to local funds in the context of a reference to the M2Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1952.E+W

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Central funds, that is to say money provided by Parliament.
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Amendments (Textual)

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Nothing in the Table above shall be taken as affecting any enactment which, as respects any judicial or other office abolished by this Act, provides for—

(a)the appointment, retirement, or removal of the officer, or

(b)the tenure of office and oaths to be taken by any such officer, or

(c)the remuneration, allowances or pensions of any such officer;

and nothing in the Table above shall apply to any reference to records of any court.

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Annotations are used to give authority for changes and other effects on the legislation you are viewing and to convey editorial information. They appear at the foot of the relevant provision or under the associated heading. Annotations are categorised by annotation type, such as F-notes for textual amendments and I-notes for commencement information (a full list can be found in the Editorial Practice Guide). Each annotation is identified by a sequential reference number. For F-notes, M-notes and X-notes, the number also appears in bold superscript at the relevant location in the text. All annotations contain links to the affecting legislation.

Amendments (Textual)

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