101.—(1) Unless the court otherwise directs, the hearing of an application must be in open court.
(2) In a county court, the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine an application may be exercised by the district judge (to whom any application must be made in the first instance) unless—
(a)a direction to the contrary has been given, or
(b)it is not within the district judge’s power to make the order required.
(3) In the High Court the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine an application may be exercised by the registrar (to whom the application must be made in the first instance) unless—
(a)a direction to the contrary has been given, or
(b)it is not within the registrar’s power to make the order required.
(4) Where the application is made to the district judge in the county court or to the registrar in the High Court, the district judge or the registrar may refer to the judge any matter which the district judge or the registrar thinks should properly be decided by the judge, and the judge may either dispose of the matter or refer it back to the district judge or the registrar with such directions as that judge thinks just.
(5) Nothing in this Rule precludes an application being made directly to the judge in a proper case.