Explanatory note

revokes and replaces the Child Support Appeals (Jurisdiction of Courts) Order (Northern Ireland) 1993, which provides for child support appeals to be made to a court of summary jurisdiction, rather than an appeal tribunal, where the issue in the appeal is the parentage of the qualifying child in relation to whom an application for child support maintenance has been made under the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991. The amendments are required in consequence of section 10 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000, which substitutes a new Article 22 into the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (appeals to appeal tribunals); and

provides for the application (with modifications) of regulations 31 and 32 of the Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 to those appeals that are made to a court of summary jurisdiction.