{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-68A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-68A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1978/23",
  "legislation_title": "Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978",
  "path": "section/68A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "68A",
  "heading": "Department of Justice’s duty",
  "text": "(1) The Lord Chancellor is under a duty to ensure that there is an efficient and effective system to support the carrying on of the business of—\n(a) the Court of Judicature,\n(b) county courts,\n(c) magistrates' courts, and\n(d) coroners' courts,\nand that appropriate services are provided for those courts.\n(2) The Lord Chancellor must, within 18 months of the coming into force of this section, and afterwards annually, prepare and lay before the Northern Ireland Assembly a report as to the way in which he has discharged his duty under subsection (1).\n(3) Section 41(3) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies for the purposes of subsection (2) in relation to the laying of a report as it applies in relation to the laying of a statutory document under an enactment.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 68A inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 10, 148(1); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 6"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 68(1)(a) substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 6; S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 68A(2) 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. 18(b) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 68A(3) 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. 18(c) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 68A 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. 18(a) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 68A 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(f) (with arts. 28-31)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/23/section/68A",
    "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."
}