{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-rules-1981/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-rules-1981/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1981/552",
  "legislation_title": "The Magistrates' Courts Rules 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/magistrates-courts-rules-1981",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "MAGISTRATES' COURTS\nPROCEDURE\nMade 20th March 1981\nLaid before Parliament 8th April 1981\nComing into Operation 6th July 1981\nThe Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the power conferred on him by section 144 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, as extended by section 145 of that Act, after consultation with the Rule Committee appointed under the said section 144, hereby makes the following Rules:—",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Rules modified (27.9.1989) by The Magistrates' Courts (Extradition) Rules 1989 (S.I. 1989/1597), rules 1, 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Rules modified in part (1.1.1992) by The Solicitors' Incorporated Practices Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/2684), arts. 1, 4, 5, Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "Rules modified (1.9.2001) by The Magistrates' Courts (International Criminal Court) (Forms) Rules 2001 (S.I. 2001/2600), rules 1, 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "Rules applied in part (with modifications) (23.12.2011) by The Legal Services Act 2007 (Designation as a Licensing Authority) (No. 2) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/2866), arts. 1(2), 8(1)(2), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1980 c. 43."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1981/552/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T18:40:56.682539+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."
}