Explanatory note

This Order brings into force various provisions of the Courts Act 2003 on 1st April 2005, including:

• sections 1 to 3, which place the Lord Chancellor under a general duty to maintain an efficient and effective court system and give him the power to make appropriate arrangements for staff and accommodation.

• section 6, which abolishes magistrates' courts committees, magistrates' courts committee areas and the office of justices' chief executive;

• sections 7 and 8, which provide for there to be a single commission of the peace for England and Wales and for England and Wales to be divided into local justice areas;

• sections 9 to 35, which make provision in relation to justices, justices' clerks and assistant clerks;

• sections 43 to 50(1) and 50(4), which deals with the jurisdiction and procedure in criminal, civil and family proceedings in magistrates courts;

• sections 51 to 57, which makes provision in relation to court security officers;

• sections 58-61 which establish a new body called Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Court Administration;

• subject to savings, sections 100 and 101 of the Courts Act 2003, which deal with the award of damages for future pecuniary loss in personal injury cases by way of periodical payments.

This Order brings into force on 1st April 2005 those parts of Schedules 8, 9 and 10 to the Courts Act to the extent that they are not yet in force and also makes further savings, transitional and consequential provision in connection with the coming into force of the Courts Act 2003.