{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/county-court-rules-northern-ireland-1981/part-6A/rule-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/county-court-rules-northern-ireland-1981/part-6A/rule-7.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/1981/225",
  "legislation_title": "County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/county-court-rules-northern-ireland-1981",
  "path": "part/6A/rule/7",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Modes of service",
  "text": "(1) [ Where a process is to be served] out of Northern Ireland, service may, subject to the provisions of this Rule, be effected—\n(a) through the court; or\n(b) by the applicant or his agent.\n(2) Where the country of service is a convention country, service may be effected through the court or, if service by the applicant or his agent is permitted by the Convention, by the applicant or his agent.\n(3) Where the country of service is neither a convention country nor a country mentioned in paragraph (5), service may be effected through the court.\n(4) Where the country of service is not a convention country but is a country mentioned in paragraph (5), service may be effected by the applicant or his agent, if and so far as the law of the country of service permits.\n(5) The countries referred to in paragraphs (3) and (4) are:—\n(a) England and Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands;\n(b) any independent Commonwealth country outside the United Kingdom, and any territory administered by the government of such a country;\n(c) any associated state;\n(d) any colony;\n(e) the Republic of Ireland.\n(6) Where the respondent is a State, as defined in section 14 of the State Immunity Act 1978, service shall be effected through the court, except where the State has agreed to some other method of service.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Words substituted by S.R. 1986 No. 347 with effect from 1.1.87"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "1978 c. 33"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1981/225/part/6A/rule/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T03:45:17.527867+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."
}