The Civil Courts Order 2014

This Order replaces the Civil Courts Order 1983 (SI 1983/713) (“the 1983 Order”). It specifies the locations and names of the district registries of the High Court in England and Wales.

Previously, the district of each district registry was defined by reference to the area comprising the districts of particular county courts, which were specified in the 1983 Order. However, following the coming into force of section 17 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c.22), which amends the County Courts Act 1984 (c.28) to establish a single County Court for England and Wales, the district served by each district registry is now defined by reference to the areas served by the particular hearing centres of the County Court specified in this Order. The number and locations of the district registries have not been changed. Those County Court hearing centres which now define the district of each district registry correspond to the county courts which previously defined them.

The 1983 Order also specified those county courts which had jurisdiction in respect of proceedings under the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (c.42), the Insolvency Act 1986 (c.45), the Race Relations Act 1976 (c.74) the Companies Act 2006 (c.46) and the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000 (c.12). However, following the implementation of both the single County Court and the family court, it is no longer necessary, or possible, to confer jurisdiction in this way. Accordingly, similar provision is not made in this Order.

The 1983 Order and those subsequent orders which amended it are repealed by the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (Consequential, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2014 (SI 2014/820) (“The 2014 Order”). This is because the 2013 Act will repeal some of the relevant order making powers in primary legislation, under which the 1983 Order was made, on the same date that the 1983 Order is revoked. On that basis, it is not possible to use those powers to revoke, in their entirety, the 1983 Order or the amending orders.

The Insolvency (Commencement of Proceedings) and Insolvency Rules 1986 (Amendment) Rules 2014 (SI 2014/817) now specify those County Court hearing centres where proceedings under the Insolvency Act 1986 must be commenced and, for the time being, the 2014 Order provides that proceedings under the Race Relations Act 1976 (which although repealed, is subject to a number of savings) will continue to be heard in those hearing centres which correspond to the county courts previously designated for that purpose.