{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-7.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1978/23",
  "legislation_title": "Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978",
  "path": "section/7",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Further assistance for transaction of judicial business.",
  "text": "(1) A person who not being a judge of the High Court or the Court of Appeal—\n(a) holds or has held the office of a judge of the Supreme Court and before his appointment to that office was a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland, or a solicitor of the Court of Judicature, of at least ten years’ standing; ...\n(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\nmay [at anytime] at the request of the Lord Chief Justice sit and act as a judge of the High Court or the Court of Appeal at any time on or before the day on which he attains the age of seventy-five.\n(2) A county court judge shall, if requested to do so by the Lord Chief Justice, sit and act as a judge of the High Court.\n(3) The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission may appoint a person qualified for appointment as a judge of the High Court to sit and act as a judge of the High Court as a temporary measure in order to facilitate the disposal of business in the High Court or the Crown Court.\n(4) For any period during which a person who does not hold office as a judge of the Supreme Court or as a county court judge sits and acts under this section the Department of Justice shall pay to him such remuneration and allowances as the Lord Chancellor may, with the concurrence of the Minister for the Civil Service, determine.\n(5) The Lord Chief Justice may nominate any of the following to exercise his functions under this section—\n(a) the holder of one of the offices listed in Schedule 1 to the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002;\n(b) a Lord Justice of Appeal (as defined in section 88 of that Act).",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(1)(a)(4) substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 145, 148(1), Sch. 17 para. 21(2); S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(e)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(1) substituted (15.10.2002) by 2002 c. 26, s. 18(2); S.R. 2002/319, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(1)(a) substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 6(1); S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 7(1)(b) and word omitted (10.3.2022 for specified purposes, 1.10.2022 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (c. 7), s. 131(1)(4)(c), Sch. 4 para. 4; S.I. 2022/1014, reg. 2(d) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(1) repealed (31.3.1995) by 1993 c. 8, ss. 26, 31, Sch. 6 para. 7(a), Sch. 9 (with Sch. 7 paras. 2(2), 3(2), 4); S.I. 1995/631 art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(1)(2) substituted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(2), 148(1), Sch. 5 para. 23(2); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 12(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(1) added (31.3.1995) by 1993 c. 8, ss. 26, 31(2), Sch. 6 para. 7(b) (with Sch. 7 paras. 2(2), 3(2), 4); S.I. 1995/631 art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 7(3) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 2009 (c. 3), s. 5(7), Sch. 4 para. 12 (with Sch. 5 para. 16); S.I. 2010/812, art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 7(4) 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. 13 (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 7(5) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(2), 148(1), Sch. 5 para. 23(3); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 12(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 7 restricted (31.3.1995) by 1993 c. 8, ss. 26(7)(e), 31(2) (with Sch. 7 paras. 2(2), 3(2), 4); S.I. 1995/631 art. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 7(4) 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(a) (with arts. 28-31)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2002/26",
      "affecting_title": "Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2002/26",
      "affecting_title": "Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/23/section/7",
    "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."
}