{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-act-1979-repealed-1961997/section-23",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-act-1979-repealed-1961997/section-23.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1979/55",
  "legislation_title": "Justices of the Peace Act 1979 (repealed 19.6.1997)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-act-1979-repealed-1961997",
  "path": "section/23",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "23",
  "heading": "Powers and duties of committee as to petty sessional divisions.",
  "text": "(1) Subject to the provisions of this and the next following section, a magistrates’ courts committee . . . may at any time submit to the Lord Chancellor a draft order making such provision about the division of their area or any part thereof into petty sessional divisions as the committee think fit.\n(2) It shall be the duty of such a committee, if directed to do so by the Lord Chancellor, to review the division of their area, or any part thereof into petty sessional divisions and, on completion of the review, to submit to the Lord Chancellor either a draft order under subsection (1) above or a report giving reasons for making no change.\n(3) Subject to the provisions of this and the next following section—\n(a) where such a committee submit a draft order to the Lord Chancellor under this section, he may by statutory instrument make the order either in the terms of the draft or with such modifications as he thinks fit; and\n(b) where such a committee fail to comply within six months with a direction of the Lord Chancellor under subsection (2) above, or the Lord Chancellor is dissatisfied with the draft order or report submitted in pursuance of such a direction, he may by statutory instrument make such order as he thinks fit about the division into petty sessional divisions of the area to which the direction related.\n(4) An order under this section may provide for an area ceasing to be divided into petty sessional divisions, and a direction under subsection (2) above may be given with respect to the division of an area which is not for the time being so divided.\n(5) Any order under this section may contain transitional and other consequential provisions.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 23(1) repealed (1.11.1994) by 1994 c. 29, ss. 91, 93, Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 6(2)(a), Sch. 9 Pt.II; S.I. 1994/2594, art.6"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 23(1)(2)(3)(a)(b) substituted (1.4.1992) by virtue of S.I. 1992/709, art. 2(3)."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 23(1) substituted (1.11.1994) by 1994 c. 29, s. 91, Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 6(2)(b); S.I. 1994/2594, art.6"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 23(2) substituted (1.11.1994) by 1994 c. 29, s. 91, Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 6(3); S.I. 1994/2594, art.6"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 23(4) substituted (1.11.1994) by 1994 c. 29, s. 91, Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 6(4); S.I. 1994/2594, art.6"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/55/section/23",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:17:01.284091+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."
}