Section 31 General powers and duties of magistrates’ courts committees.
England and Wales
A magistrates’ courts committee shall be responsible for the efficient and effective administration of the magistrates’ courts for their area.
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It shall be the duty of every magistrates’ courts committee to provide training courses for justices’ clerks and for staff of the committee.
The Lord Chancellor may give directions to magistrates’ courts committees requiring each of them, in discharging their responsibilities under subsection (1) above, to meet specified standards of performance.
The Lord Chancellor may also give directions to magistrates’ courts committees requiring each of them to take specified steps, at such intervals as may be specified—
for the purpose of keeping the magistrates for their area informed as to the activities of the committee; or
for the purpose of ascertaining the views of those magistrates on particular matters related to the functions of the committee.
In discharging their responsibilities under subsection (1) above, a magistrates’ courts committee shall have regard to the needs of court users who are disabled; and so long as any direction under subsection (4) above is in force the standards of performance required under that subsection must include standards relating to the provision made for such court users.
A direction under this section may be given to all magistrates’ courts committees or to one or more particular committees.
The Lord Chancellor shall arrange for any direction given under this section to be published in such manner as he thinks fit.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
S. 31(2) repealed (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 88, 106, Sch. 15 Pt. V(7) (with Sch. 14 paras. 7(2), 36(9)); S.I. 1999/2657, art. 2(c)(iii)(d)(ii)(a), Sch. 2
Notes on the whole Act
Textual amendments
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Act repealed (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 6(4), 109(3), 110(1), Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(aa) (with transitional provisions and savings in S.I. 2005/911)
Notes on Greater London
Textual amendments
- F1
Ss. 30A-30C inserted (27.9.1999 so far as relating to s. 30B and 1.3.2000 so far as relating to ss. 30A(1), 30C and otherwise 1.4.2001) by 1999 c. 22, s. 83(1) (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2)); S.I. 1999/2657, art. 2(c)(i); S.I. 1999/3344, art. 3(a)(i) (with art. 4, Sch. 2); S.I. 2001/916, art. 2(a)(i) (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 2 para. 2)