Article 2 Amendment to the Declarations of Parentage (Allocation of Proceedings) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002

by inserting after Article 5 the following new Article 5A –

“Transfer from one family proceedings court to another

5A

(1)

A family proceedings court (the “transferring court”) shall transfer proceedings under Article 31B of the Order of 1989 to another family proceedings court (the “receiving court”) where –

(a)

one of the persons named in the application is a child, and the court considers that the transfer would be in the interests of the child –

(i)

because it is likely to significantly accelerate the determination of the proceedings,

(ii)

because it would be appropriate for those proceedings to be heard together with other family proceedings which are pending in the receiving court, or,

(iii)

for some other reason, and

(b)

the receiving court consents to the transfer.”;

by substituting in Schedule 1, for the word “Omagh” the words “East Tyrone”; and

by inserting in Schedule 2, after the words “Craigavon county court” the words “Dungannon county court”.