Administration of Justice Act 1973

16 Appointment of deputy district registrars of High Court and deputy county court registrars

(1) If it appears to the Lord Chancellor that it is expedient as a temporary measure to make an appointment under this subsection in order to facilitate the disposal of business in the High Court, he may appoint a person to be a deputy district registrar in any district registry of the High Court during such period or on such occasions as the Lord Chancellor thinks fit; and a deputy district registrar, while acting under his appointment, shall have the same powers as if he were the district registrar.

(2) If it appears to the Lord Chancellor that it is expedient as a temporary measure to make an appointment under this subsection in order to facilitate the disposal of business in county courts, he may appoint a person to be deputy county court registrar for any county court district during such period or on such occasions as the Lord Chancellor thinks fit; and a deputy county court registrar, while acting under his appointment, shall have the same powers and be subject to the same liabilities as if he were the registrar.

(3) Any person being a solicitor of not less than seven years' standing shall be qualified for appointment under this section as deputy district registrar or deputy county court registrar.

(4) Section 29(1) of the [1959 c. 22.] County Courts Act 1959 (which provides that no officer of a county court shall, either by himself or his partner be directly or indirectly engaged as a solicitor or agent for any party in any proceedings in that court) shall not apply to a deputy county court registrar appointed under this section; but a deputy district registrar or deputy county court registrar so appointed shall not act as such in relation to any proceedings in which he is, either by himself or his partner, directly or indirectly engaged as a solicitor or agent for any party.

(5) Notwithstanding the expiry of any period for which a person is appointed under this section to be deputy district registrar or deputy county court registrar, he may act as such for the purpose of continuing to deal with, giving judgment in, or dealing with any ancillary matter relating to, any case with which he may have been concerned during the period of his appointment, and for that purpose shall be treated as acting under that appointment.

(6) The Lord Chancellor may, out of moneys provided by Parliament, pay to any person appointed deputy district registrar or deputy county court registrar under this section such remuneration and allowances as he may, with the approval of the Minister for the Civil Service, determine.

(7) After the coming into force of this section no further appointment shall be made of provisional district registrars or deputy district registrars under section 84 of the [1925 c. 49.] Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925 or section 11 of the [1956 c. 46.] Administration of Justice Act 1956, or of deputy county court registrars under section 27 of the County Courts Act 1959 ; and on the coming into force of this section any person then holding office as deputy district registrar or deputy county court registrar shall vacate that office, but so that subsections (4), (5) and (6) above shall thereafter apply to him as if he had been appointed under this section for a period then expiring.