Access to Justice Act 1999

84 Standard goods and services

(1) Part VI of the [1997c. 25.] Justices of the Peace Act 1997 (administrative and financial arrangements) has effect subject to the following amendments.

(2) After section 59D and the heading after that section (inserted by section 83 above) insert—

“59E Standard goods and services

(1) The Lord Chancellor may by statutory instrument make regulations requiring every magistrates' courts committee, or every specified magistrates' courts committee, to obtain for the performance of any function referred to in section 55(1) or 59A(1) above—

(a) specified goods or services; or

(b) goods or services of a specified description,

if he considers that it would be in the interests of the efficient and effective administration of magistrates' courts generally for them to do so.

(2) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (1) above may include provision requiring magistrates' courts committees to obtain the specified goods or services, or goods or services of the specified description—

(a) from a specified person or person of a specified description;

(b) at or by a specified time; or

(c) both from such a person and at or by such a time.

(3) A statutory instrument containing (whether alone or with other provisions) regulations made by virtue of this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.”

(3) In section 55(2) (case where paying authority is not required to provide goods and services to magistrates' courts committee), after “or authorities” insert “—

(a) to provide any goods or services which regulations made by virtue of section 59E(2) below require the magistrates' courts committee to obtain otherwise than from that authority or any of those authorities; or

(b)”.

(4) After subsection (1) of section 56 (which specifies that, subject to the provisions of that section, the goods and services to be provided by a paying authority are to be determined by the magistrates' courts committee) insert—

“(1A) Subsection (1) above does not apply to the extent that regulations made by virtue of section 59E below have the effect of precluding a determination as to any of the matters mentioned in that subsection.”