{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-53A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-53A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1978/23",
  "legislation_title": "Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978",
  "path": "section/53A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "53A",
  "heading": "Making of Crown Court rules",
  "text": "(1) It is for the Crown Court Rules Committee to make Crown Court rules.\n(1A) For the purposes of this section, “relevant authority” means—\n(a) in relation to Crown Court rules which deal (or would deal) with an excepted matter, the Lord Chancellor; and\n(b) otherwise, the Department of Justice;\nand for the purposes of this subsection “deal with” and “excepted matter” have the same meanings as in the Northern Ireland Act 1998.\n(2) After making Crown Court rules the Committee must submit them to the relevant authority.\n(3) The relevant authority must allow or disallow Crown Court rules submitted to it.\n(4) Crown Court rules have effect only if allowed by the relevant authority.\n(5) If the relevant authority disallows Crown Court rules, the relevant authority must give the Committee written reasons why it has disallowed them.\n(6) Subsection (7) applies if the relevant authority gives the Committee written notice that it thinks it is expedient for Crown Court rules to include provision that would achieve a purpose specified in the notice.\n(7) The Committee must make such Crown Court rules as it considers necessary to achieve the specified purpose.\n(8) Those Crown Court rules must be—\n(a) made within a reasonable period after the relevant authority gives notice under subsection (6);\n(b) made in accordance with this section.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 53A inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(2), 148(1), Sch. 5 para. 28; S. I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 12(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 53A(1A) inserted (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), Sch. 18 para. 14(a) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 53A substituted (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), Sch. 18 para. 14(b) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 53A(3) substituted (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), Sch. 18 para. 14(c) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Word in s. 53A(5)(6) substituted (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), Sch. 18 para. 14(d) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 53A transfer of functions (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), art. 1(2), Sch. 17 para. 6(c) (with arts. 28-31)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/23/section/53A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:23:00.123548+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."
}