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Administration of Justice Act 1982 in England

1982 c. 53 · Enacted 28 October 1982 · Extends to United Kingdom

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 11 July 2023.

An Act to make further provision with respect to the administration of justice and matters connected therewith; to amend the law relating to actions for damages for personal injuries, including injuries resulting in death, and to abolish certain actions for loss of services; to amend the law relating to wills; to make further provision with respect to funds in court, statutory deposits and schemes for the common investment of such funds and deposits and certain other funds; to amend the law relating to deductions by employers under attachment of earnings orders; to make further provision with regard to penalties that may be awarded by the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal under section 47 of the Solicitors Act 1974; to make further provision for the appointment of justices of the peace in England and Wales and in relation to temporary vacancies in the membership of the Law Commission; to enable the title register kept by the Chief Land Registrar to be kept otherwise than in documentary form; and to authorise the payment of travelling, subsistence and financial loss allowances for justices of the peace in Northern Ireland.

[28th October 1982]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part I: Damages for Personal Injuries Etc.
  2. Abolition of certain claims for damages etc.
  3. 1Abolition of right to damages for loss of expectation of life.
  4. 2Abolition of actions for loss of services etc.
  5. Fatal Accidents Act 1976
  6. 3Amendments of Fatal Accidents Act 1976.
  7. Claims not surviving death
  8. 4Exclusion of Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934.
  9. Maintenance at public expense
  10. 5Maintenance at public expense to be taken into account in assessment of damages.
  11. Provisional damages for personal injuries
  12. 6Award of provisional damages for personal injuries.
  13. 7Damages in respect of services.
  14. 12Award of provisional damages for personal injuries: Scotland.
  15. Part III: Powers of Courts to Award Interest
  16. 15Interest on debts and damages.
  17. 16Interest on lump sums in matrimonial proceedings.
  18. Part IV: Wills
  19. Amendments of Wills Act 1837
  20. 17Relaxation of formal requirements for making wills.
  21. 18Effect of marriage or its termination on wills.
  22. 19Gifts to children etc. who predecease testator.
  23. Rectification and interpretation of wills
  24. 20Rectification.
  25. 21Interpretation of wills—general rules as to evidence.
  26. 22Presumption as to effect of gifts to spouses.
  27. Registration of wills
  28. 23Deposit and registration of wills of living persons. Not yet in force
  29. 24Designation of Principal Registry as national body under Registration Convention. Not yet in force
  30. 25Regulations as to deposit and registration of wills etc. Not yet in force
  31. International wills Not yet in force
  32. 27The form of an international will. Not yet in force
  33. 28International wills—procedure. Not yet in force
  34. Part V: County Courts
  35. 29—33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  36. 34Transfers from High Court to county court.
  37. 35Transfers from county court to High Court. Repealed
  38. 36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  39. 37Limits of county court jurisdiction.
  40. Part VI: Funds in Court
  41. 38Management and investment of funds in court.
  42. 39Investment of money transferred to National Debt Commissioners.
  43. 40Statutory deposits.
  44. 41Transfer of funds in court to Official Custodian for Charities and appropriate authority.
  45. 42Common investment schemes.
  46. 43Provision for making good defaults.
  47. 44Power to repeal and modify ss. 42 and 43.
  48. 45Accounts.
  49. 46Supplemental.
  50. 47Interpretation.
  51. 48Application of Part VI to Scotland. Not yet in force
  52. 48AApplication of Part VI to Northern Ireland
  53. Part VII: Miscellaneous
  54. Family Law
  55. 49Presentation of petitions for matrimonial relief on behalf of patients under Mental Health Act 1959. Repealed
  56. 50Orders for the maintenance of wards of court. Repealed
  57. 51Remission of arrears of maintenance.
  58. 52Filing of orders.
  59. Amendments of Attachment of Earnings Act 1971
  60. 53Power to order debtor to appear before court where attachment of earnings order is in force.
  61. 54Deductions by employer under attachment of earnings order.
  62. 55Attachment of debts
  63. Penalties under Solicitors Act 1974
  64. 56Increase in penalty etc.
  65. Judicial Trustees
  66. 57Accounts of judicial trustees.
  67. Recorders
  68. 58Assistance by Recorders for transaction of business of High Court.
  69. Official referee’s business
  70. 59Official referee’s business.
  71. 60. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  72. Jurors
  73. 61Questions to persons summoned for jury service.
  74. Inquests
  75. 62Juries where death in police custody etc. suspected.
  76. Explosive substances—consents to prosecutions
  77. 63Consents to prosecutions under the Explosive Substances Act 1883.
  78. Constitution of the Law Commission
  79. 64Temporary vacancies in Law Commission.
  80. Justices of the Peace
  81. 65. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  82. Land Registration
  83. 66Computerisation of the title register. Repealed
  84. 67Jurisdiction. Repealed
  85. 68Damages for personal injuries etc.
  86. 69Interest on debts and damages.
  87. 70Amendents of Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978.
  88. 71. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  89. Part IX: General and Supplementary
  90. 73Transitional provisions and savings.
  91. 74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  92. 75Repeals and revocations.
  93. 76Commencement.
  94. 77Extent.
  95. 78Citation.
  96. Schedule 1: Interest on debts and damages
  97. Part I: Section Inserted in Senior Courts Act 1981
  98. 35APower of High Court to award interest on debts and damages.
  99. II. . .
  100. Part III: Consequential amendment of Crown Proceedings Act 1947
  101. Paragraph
  102. Part IV
  103. 19APower of arbitrator to award interest.
  104. Schedule 2The Annex to the Convention on International Wills
  105. Article 1Part Article 1
  106. Article 2Part Article 2
  107. Article 3Part Article 3
  108. Article 4Part Article 4
  109. Article 5Part Article 5
  110. Article 6Part Article 6
  111. Article 7Part Article 7
  112. Article 8Part Article 8
  113. Article 9Part Article 9
  114. Article 10Part Article 10
  115. Article 11Part Article 11
  116. Article 12Part Article 12
  117. Article 13Part Article 13
  118. Article 14Part Article 14
  119. Article 15Part Article 15
  120. Schedule 3: Monetary Limits of County Court Jurisdiction
  121. Part I: The County Court Limit
  122. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  123. Part II: Amendents of enactments specifying monetary limits
  124. 2Paragraph 2
  125. 3Paragraph 3
  126. 4Paragraph 4
  127. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  128. 6Paragraph 6
  129. Part III: Power to raise County Court limit
  130. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  131. Part IV: Highways
  132. 8Paragraph 8
  133. Schedule 4: Attachment of debts
  134. Part I: Section inserted in Senior Courts Act 1981
  135. 40AAdministrative and clerical expenses of garnishees.
  136. II. . .
  137. Schedule 5Schedule 5
  138. Abolition of actions for enticement, seduction and harbouring of child
  139. 1Paragraph 1
  140. Fatal accidents
  141. 2Paragraph 2
  142. 3Paragraph 3
  143. 4Paragraph 4
  144. 5Paragraph 5
  145. 6Paragraph 6
  146. 7Paragraph 7
  147. 8Paragraph 8
  148. Exclusion of section 14 of Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1937
  149. 9Paragraph 9
  150. Orders for provisional damages for personal injury
  151. Schedule 7: Interest on Debts and Damages—Northern Ireland
  152. 33APower of High Court to award interest on debts and damages.
  153. Part II: Article inserted in County Courts Northern Ireland) Order 1980
  154. 45AParagraph 45A
  155. Crown Proceedings Act 1947 (c. 44)
  156. 1Paragraph 1
  157. Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 (c. 23)
  158. 2Paragraph 2
  159. County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980
  160. 3Paragraph 3
  161. 1Paragraph 1
  162. 4Paragraph 4
  163. 5Paragraph 5
  164. 9Paragraph 9
  165. 10Paragraph 10
  166. 11Paragraph 11
  167. 12Paragraph 12
  168. IIRepeals Not yet in force