Courts Act 1971

20 Judges of county courts

(1) Every Circuit judge shall, by virtue of his office, be capable of sitting as a judge for any county court district in England and Wales, and the Lord Chancellor shall assign one or more Circuit judges to each district and may from time to time vary the assignment of Circuit judges among the districts.

(2) Subject to any directions given by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor, in any case where more than one Circuit judge is assigned to a district under subsection (1) above, any function conferred by or under the [1959 c. 22.] County Courts Act 1959 on the judge for a district may be exercised by any of the Circuit judges for the time being assigned to that district.

(3) The following, that is—

• every judge of the Court of Appeal,

• every judge of the High Court,

• every Recorder,

shall, by virtue of his office, be capable of sitting as a judge for any county court district in England and Wales and if he consents to do so, shall sit as such a judge at such times and on such occasions as the Lord Chancellor considers desirable.

(4) Notwithstanding that he is not for the time being assigned to a particular district, a Circuit judge—

(a) shall sit as a judge of that district at such times and on such occasions as the Lord Chancellor may direct; and

(b) may sit as a judge of that district in any case where it appears to him that the judge of that district is not, or none of the judges of that district is, available to deal with the case.

(5) So much of Part I of the [1959 c. 22.] County Courts Act 1959 as makes special provision in relation to county court districts within the Duchy of Lancaster shall cease to have effect.

(6) On the appointed day all appointments of temporary and deputy judges of county courts shall terminate and the provisions of the County Courts Act 1959 relating to such temporary and deputy judges shall cease to have effect.

(7) Nothing in this Act shall affect the operation, in relation to the superannuation and other benefits payable to or in respect of persons who ceased to be judges of county courts before the day appointed for the coming into force of section 16(5) of this Act, of any enactment repealed or amended by this Act.