It has been decided that Exeter County Court should become a Care Centre as defined in article 2 of the Children (Allocation of Proceedings) Order 1991 (“the 1991 Order”). A Care Centre is a county court designated for the purpose of hearing cases under Parts III, IV or V of the Children Act 1989. This Order effects this change and amends the 1991 Order to re-organise the transfer arrangements between magistrates' courts and Care Centres on the Western Circuit to reflect this change.

Amendments to the Order have also been made to replace references to “petty sessions areas” and “London commission area” with references to “local justice area” to reflect the changes to the organisation of the courts made by the Courts Act 2003 which are also being brought into force on 1st April 2005. References to circuits are changed to references to the new administrative regions which will be used after that date.

At the same time the opportunity has been taken to up-date the names of the petty sessions areas (local justice areas as they will become) in consequence of changes to their boundaries which have not previously been reflected in the 1991 Order.