Courts Act 2003

1. Introductory Text

2. Part 1 Maintaining the court system

   1. The general duty

      1. 1. The general duty

   2. Court staff and accommodation

      1. 2. Court officers, staff and services

      2. 3. Provision of accommodation

   3. Courts boards

      1. 4. Establishment of courts boards

      2. 5. Functions of courts boards

   4. Abolition of magistrates' courts committees

      1. 6. Abolition of magistrates' courts committees, etc.

3. Part 2 Justices of the peace

   1. The commission of the peace and local justice areas

      1. 7. The commission of the peace for England and Wales

      2. 8. Local justice areas

   2. Lay justices

      1. 9. Meaning of “lay justice”

      2. 10. Appointment of lay justices etc.

      3. 11. Resignation and removal of lay justices

      4. 12. The supplemental list

      5. 13. Entry of names in the supplemental list

      6. 14. Removal of names from the supplemental list

      7. 15. Lay justices' allowances

      8. 16. Records of lay justices

   3. Chairman and deputy chairmen and the bench

      1. 17. Chairman and deputy chairmen: selection

      2. 18. Rights to preside and size of bench

   4. Supplementary provisions about the bench

      1. 19. Training, development and appraisal of lay justices

      2. 20. Rules

      3. 21. Duty to consult lay justices on matters affecting them etc.

   5. District Judges (Magistrates' Courts)

      1. 22. Appointment etc.

      2. 23. Senior District Judge (Chief Magistrate)

      3. 24. Deputy District Judges (Magistrates' Courts)

      4. 25. District Judges (Magistrates' Courts) as justices of the peace

      5. 26. District Judges (Magistrates' Courts) able to act alone

   6. Justices' clerks and assistant clerks

      1. 27. Justices' clerks and assistant clerks

      2. 28. Functions

      3. 29. Independence

   7. Places, dates and times of sittings

      1. 30. Places, dates and times of sittings

   8. Protection and indemnification of justices and justices' clerks

      1. 31. Immunity for acts within jurisdiction

      2. 32. Immunity for certain acts beyond jurisdiction

      3. 33. Striking out proceedings where action prohibited

      4. 34. Costs in legal proceedings

      5. 35. Indemnity

   9. Fines officers and designated officers

      1. 36. Fines officers

      2. 37. Designated officers and magistrates' courts

   10. Application of receipts of magistrates' courts etc.

       1. 38. Application of receipts of designated officers

       2. 39. Limits to requirements about application of receipts

       3. 40. Regulations about payments, accounting and banking by designated officers

   11. Miscellaneous

       1. 41. Disqualification of lay justices who are members of local authorities

       2. 42. Effect of Act of Settlement on existing justices of the peace

4. Part 3 Magistrates' courts

   1. Criminal jurisdiction and procedure

      1. 43. Summons or warrant for suspected offender

      2. 44. Trial of summary offences

      3. 45. Power to make rulings at pre-trial hearings

      4. 46. Power to transfer criminal cases

   2. Civil jurisdiction and procedure

      1. 47. Jurisdiction to issue summons and deal with complaints

      2. 48. Power to transfer civil proceedings (other than family proceedings)

   3. Family proceedings courts and youth courts

      1. 49. Family proceedings courts

      2. 50. Youth courts

5. Part 4 Court security

   1. 51. Court security officers

   2. 52. Powers of search

   3. 53. Powers to exclude, remove or restrain persons

   4. 54. Surrender and seizure of articles

   5. 55. Powers to retain articles surrendered or seized

   6. 56. Regulations about retention of articles

   7. 57. Assaulting and obstructing court security officers

6. Part 5 Inspectors of court administration

   1. 58. Inspectors of court administration etc.

   2. 59. Functions of inspectors

   3. 60. Functions of Chief Inspector

   4. 61. Rights of entry and inspection

7. Part 6 Judges

   1. Offices, titles, styles etc.

      1. 62. Head and Deputy Head of Civil Justice

      2. 63. Ordinary judges of the Court of Appeal

      3. 64. Power to alter judicial titles

   2. Flexibility in deployment of judicial resources

      1. 65. District Judges (Magistrates' Courts) as Crown Court judges etc.

      2. 66. Judges having powers of District Judges (Magistrates' Courts)

      3. 67. Removal of restriction on Circuit judges sitting on certain appeals

8. Part 7 Procedure rules and practice directions

   1. Criminal Procedure Rules and practice directions

      1. 68. Meaning of “criminal court”

      2. 69. Criminal Procedure Rules

      3. 70. Criminal Procedure Rule Committee

      4. 71. Power to change certain requirements relating to Committee

      5. 72. Process for making Criminal Procedure Rules

      6. 73. Power to amend legislation in connection with the rules

      7. 74. Practice directions as to practice and procedure of the criminal courts

   2. Family Procedure Rules and practice directions

      1. 75. Family Procedure Rules

      2. 76. Further provision about scope of Family Procedure Rules

      3. 77. Family Procedure Rule Committee

      4. 78. Power to change certain requirements relating to Committee

      5. 79. Process for making Family Procedure Rules

      6. 80. Power to amend legislation in connection with the rules

      7. 81. Practice directions relating to family proceedings

   3. Civil Procedure Rules

      1. 82. Civil Procedure Rules

      2. 83. Civil Procedure Rule Committee

      3. 84. Power to change certain requirements relating to Committee

      4. 85. Process for making Civil Procedure Rules

9. Part 8 Miscellaneous

   1. Provisions relating to criminal procedure and appeals

      1. 86. Alteration of place fixed for Crown Court trial

      2. 87. Appeals to Court of Appeal: procedural directions

      3. 88. Extension of time for criminal appeals to House of Lords

      4. 89. Retirement age of Registrar of Criminal Appeals

      5. 90. Appeals to Courts-Martial Appeal Court: procedural directions

      6. 91. Extension of time for appeals from Courts-Martial Appeal Court

   2. Fees and costs

      1. 92. Fees

      2. 93. Award of costs against third parties

      3. 94. Award of costs in appeals under Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

   3. Fines

      1. 95. Fixing of fines: failure to furnish statement of financial circumstances

      2. 96. Recovery of fines etc. by deductions from income support: failure to provide information

      3. 97. Collection of fines and discharge of fines by unpaid work

   4. Register of judgments etc. and execution of writs

      1. 98. Register of judgments and orders etc.

      2. 99. High Court writs of execution

   5. Damages

      1. 100. Periodical payments

      2. 101. Periodical payments: security

   6. Provisions relating to Northern Ireland

      1. 102. Power to alter judicial titles: Northern Ireland

      2. 103. Official Solicitor of Northern Ireland

      3. 104. Alteration of place fixed for Crown Court trial: Northern Ireland

      4. 105. Extension of time for criminal appeals to House of Lords: Northern Ireland

      5. 106. Fees: Northern Ireland

10. Part 9 Final provisions

    1. 107. Interpretation

    2. 108. Rules, regulations and orders

    3. 109. Minor and consequential amendments, repeals, etc.

    4. 110. Commencement

    5. 111. Extent

    6. 112. Short title

11. 1. Schedule 1

       Constitution and procedure of courts boards

    2. Schedule 2

       Abolition of magistrates' courts committees: transfers

       1. Part 1 Property transfer schemes

       2. Part 2 Staff transfers

       3. Part 3 Miscellaneous and supplementary

    3. Schedule 3

       Pre-trial hearings in magistrates' courts

    4. Schedule 4

       Further functions conferred on District Judges (Magistrates' Courts)

    5. Schedule 5

       Collection of fines

       1. Part 1 Introductory

       2. Part 2 Immediate payment of fines: discounts

       3. Part 3 Attachment of earnings orders and applications for benefit deductions

       4. Part 4 Making of collection orders

       5. Part 5 Discount where collection order made

       6. Part 6 Variation of collection orders containing payment terms

       7. Part 7 Effect of first default on collection order containing payment terms

       8. Part 8 Operation of collection orders containing reserve terms

       9. Part 9 Operation of collection orders after increase imposed

       10. Part 10 Supplementary provisions

    6. Schedule 6

       Discharge of fines by unpaid work

    7. Schedule 7

       High Court writs of execution

    8. Schedule 8

       Minor and consequential amendments

    9. Schedule 9

       Transitional provisions and savings

    10. Schedule 10

        Repeals