{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-act-1980/section-27A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-act-1980/section-27A.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1980/43",
  "legislation_title": "Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-act-1980",
  "path": "section/27A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "27A",
  "heading": "Power to transfer criminal proceedings",
  "text": "(1) Where a person appears or is brought before a magistrates' court—\n(a) to be tried by the court for an offence, or\n(b) for the court to inquire into the offence as examining justices,\nthe court may transfer the matter to another magistrates' court.\n(2) The court may transfer the matter before or after beginning the trial or inquiry.\n(3) But if the court transfers the matter after it has begun to hear the evidence and the parties, the court to which the matter is transferred must begin hearing the evidence and the parties again.\n(4) The power of the court under this section to transfer any matter must be exercised in accordance with any directions given under section 30(3) of the Courts Act 2003.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 27A and cross-heading inserted (1.4.2005) after s. 27 by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), ss. 46(1), 110; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(p)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "substituted for s. 27A(1)(2)",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2022/35",
      "affecting_title": "Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/43/section/27A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-31T10:26:47.197891+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."
}