http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2002/119The Declarations of Parentage (Allocation of Proceedings) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002Courts of lawChild supportFamiliesFamily supportCounty courtsFAMILY PROCEEDINGSStatute Law Database2025-08-13Expert Participation2016-10-31 This Order provides for the commencement and transfer of proceedings under Article 31B of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (declarations of parentage), as inserted by section 66 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000. That Article combines proceedings under the former Article 32(1)(a) of the 1989 Order and proceedings under the former Article 28 of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991. It will be possible (but not obligatory, as was the case with proceedings under Article 28 of the 1991 Order) to begin proceedings under Article 31B of the 1989 Order in a court of summary jurisdiction. 2002 No. 119 FAMILY PROCEEDINGS The Declarations of Parentage (Allocation of Proceedings) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 To be laid before Parliament Made 23rd March 2002 Coming into operation 15th April 2002 The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Article 164(5) of, and Schedule 7 to, the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, hereby makes the following Order:— Citation and commencement1This Order may be cited as the Declarations of Parentage (Allocation of Proceedings) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 and shall come into operation on 15th April 2002.Interpretation2In this Order—“the Order of 1989” means the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989; and...Classes of Court3For the purposes of this Order there shall be the following classes of court—afamily proceedings courts, being those courts of summary jurisdiction constituted as juvenile courts so specified in directions issued by the Lord Chief Justice; andbfamily care centres, being those county courts so specified in directions issued by the Lord Chief Justice.Commencement of proceedings4Proceedings under Article 31B of the Order of 1989 may be commenced in a family proceedings court, a family care centre or the High Court.Transfer from a family proceedings court to a family care centre or the High Court5A family proceedings court may, upon application by a party or of its own motion, transfer proceedings under Article 31B of the Order of 1989 to a family care centre or the High Court where it considers that—athe proceedings are exceptionally important or complex; orbit would be appropriate for the proceedings to be heard together with other proceedings pending in such a court.Transfer from one family proceedings court to another5A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Transfer from a family care centre to the High Court6A family care centre may, upon application by a party or of its own motion, transfer proceedings under Article 31B of the 1989 Order to the High Court if it considers that the proceedings are appropriate for determination in that Court.Transfer from a family care centre to a family proceedings court7A family care centre may transfer to a family proceedings court before trial, proceedings which were transferred by that court under Article 5 where it considers that the criterion cited by the court as the reason for transfer does not apply.Transfer from High Court to family proceedings court8The High Court may transfer to a family proceedings court before trial, proceedings which were transferred by that court under Article 5 where it considers that the criterion for transfer no longer applies.Transfer from the High Court to a family care centre9The High Court may transfer to a family care centre, before trial, proceedings which were transferred by that court under Article 6 where it considers that the proceedings are appropriate for determination in that court.Contravention of this Order10Where proceedings are commenced or transferred in contravention of this Order, the contravention shall not have the effect of making the proceedings invalid and no appeal shall lie against the determination of the proceedings on the basis of such contravention alone.Irvine of Lairg, C.Dated 23rd March 2002 SCHEDULE 1<Strong>Family Proceedings Courts</Strong>Article 3(a)<CommentaryRef Ref="key-f6cfa673e92d13b161cf8524da0b21ec"/><SmallCaps>Petty Sessions Districts</SmallCaps>

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 SCHEDULE 2<Strong>Family Care Centres</Strong>Article 3(b)

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 (This note is not part of the Order.)

This Order provides for the commencement and transfer of proceedings under Article 31B of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (declarations of parentage), as inserted by section 66 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000. That Article combines proceedings under the former Article 32(1)(a) of the 1989 Order and proceedings under the former Article 28 of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991. It will be possible (but not obligatory, as was the case with proceedings under Article 28 of the 1991 Order) to begin proceedings under Article 31B of the 1989 Order in a court of summary jurisdiction.

S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2) Schedule 7 was amended by section 66(5) of, and paragraph 7 of Schedule 8 to, the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) (c. 4) S.I. 1989/677 (N.I. 4) S.I. 1989/677 (N.I. 4) Article 31B was inserted by section 66 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4) Art. 1 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 2 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 3 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 4 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 5 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 6 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 7 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 8 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 9 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Art. 10 in operation at 15.4.2002, see art. 1Sch. 1 omitted (31.10.2016) by virtue of The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Single Jurisdiction) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/317), arts. 1, 19(5); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(a) (with art. 3)Sch. 2 omitted (31.10.2016) by virtue of The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Single Jurisdiction) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/317), arts. 1, 19(6); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(a) (with art. 3)Words in art. 2 omitted (31.10.2016) by virtue of The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Single Jurisdiction) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/317), arts. 1, 19(2); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(a) (with art. 3)Art. 5A omitted (31.10.2016) by virtue of The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Single Jurisdiction) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/317), arts. 1, 19(4); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(a) (with art. 3)Words in art. 3(a) substituted (31.10.2016) by The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Single Jurisdiction) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/317), arts. 1, 19(3)(a); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(a) (with art. 3)Words in art. 3(b) substituted (31.10.2016) by The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (Single Jurisdiction) (Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/317), arts. 1, 19(3)(b); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(a) (with art. 3)