{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-97",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978/section-97.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1978/23",
  "legislation_title": "Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/judicature-northern-ireland-act-1978",
  "path": "section/97",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "97",
  "heading": "Civil jurisdiction exercisable by circuit registrars.",
  "text": "(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) The Department of Justice may by order—\n(a) direct that Articles 62(1), (2) and (3), 67(1)(a) and 72(3) of the Magistrates’ Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (which impose financial limits on the jurisdiction of courts of summary jurisdiction in debt and ejectment proceedings) shall have effect with the substitution for the sums for the time being specified in those provisions of such higher sums as may be specified in the Order;\n(b) abolish any civil jurisdiction exercisable by courts of summary jurisdiction;\n(c) confer on circuit registrars any civil jurisdiction additional to that for the time being exercisable by them under or by virtue of any statutory provision.\n(3) An order under subsection (2) may make such incidental, consequential, transitional or supplementary provisions (including the amendment or repeal of any statutory provision) as appear to the Department of Justice to be necessary or proper for giving full effect to the provisions of the Order.\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 95, 96, 97(1) repealed by S.I. 1980/397 (N.I. 3), art. 69(2), Sch. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 97(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. 24(a) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words substituted by S.I. 1981/1675 (N.I. 26), Sch. 6 para. 52"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 97(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. 24(b)(i) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 97(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. 24(b)(ii) (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 97(4) omitted (12.4.2010) by virtue of The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), Sch. 18 para. 24(c) (with arts. 28-31)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1978/23/section/97",
    "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."
}