{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-partnership-act-2004/section-188",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-partnership-act-2004/section-188.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2004/33",
  "legislation_title": "Civil Partnership Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-partnership-act-2004",
  "path": "section/188",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "188",
  "heading": "The court",
  "text": "(1) In this Chapter “the court” means—\n(a) the High Court, or\n(b) a county court.\n(2) Subsection (1) is subject to the following provisions of this section.\n(3) Subsection (1) does not apply where the context shows that “the court” means some particular court.\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(4A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(7) Any jurisdiction conferred on a county court is exercisable even though by reason of any amount claimed the jurisdiction would not but for this subsection be exercisable by a county court.\n(8) The jurisdiction of a ... county court to exercise any power under Schedule 15 (except a power under Part 8 of or paragraph 62 of that Schedule or a power under paragraph 57, 58 or 66 of that Schedule ...) shall, except to the extent that rules of court otherwise permit and, in particular, without prejudice to section 190(4) and (6), be exercisable only in connection with an application or order pending in or made by such a court.\n(9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 188(1)(b) substituted (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 124(1)(a) (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 188(4)-(6) repealed (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 124(1)(b), Sch. 9 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k)(m) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 188(7) substituted (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 124(1)(c) (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 188(8) repealed (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 124(1)(d), Sch. 9 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k)(m) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 188(9) repealed (31.10.2016) by Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 9), s. 106(2), Sch. 1 para. 124(1)(b), Sch. 9 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 8 para. 1); S.R. 2016/387, art. 2(k)(m) (with art. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 188: functions transferred (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), art. 15(1), Sch. 17 para. 21(a) (with arts. 15(6), 28-31)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/33/section/188",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:16:53.191982+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}