The Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

The Maintenance and Affiliation Orders Act(Northern Ireland) 1966 (c. 35 (N.I.))

3.  In section 9 in paragraph (a) after the words “High Court” there shall be inserted the words “or a county court”.

4.  In section 10—

(a) in subsection (1) after the words “High Court” there shall be inserted the words “, a county court” ;

(b) in subsection (2) after paragraph (f) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“(g) Article 21(a) of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989;”.

5.  In section 11(1) after the words “High Court” there shall be inserted the words “or a county court”.

6.  In section 12 after subsection (3) there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(3A) Any person under an obligation to make payments under an order registered in a court of summary jurisdiction shall give notice of any change of address to the clerk of the court; and any person who without reasonable excuse fails to give such a notice shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.”.

7.  In section 13 after subsection (7A) there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(7B) No application for any variation of a registered order shall be made to any court in respect of an order made under Article 21(a) of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989.”.

8.  In section 15(6) after the words “High Court” in both places where they occur there shall be inserted the words “or county court”.

9.  In section 16—

(a) in subsection (2) for the words “court of summary jurisdiction, be construed as a reference to” there shall be substituted the words “county court or a court of summary jurisdiction, be construed respectively as a reference to county court rules or”;

(b) in subsection (3) after the words “High Court” there shall be inserted the words “, by a county court”

(c) in subsection (6) after the words “High Court” there shall be inserted the words “or by a county court”.

The Civil Evidence Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 (c. 36 (N.I.))

10.  In section 8(5)—

(a) in the definition of “matrimonial proceedings” after the words “the High Court” where they first occur there shall be inserted the words “or a divorce county court” ;

(b) after the word “subsection” there shall be inserted the words ““divorce county court” has the same meaning as in the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and”.