OpenLegislation

Senior Courts Act 1981 in Northern Ireland

1981 c. 54 · Enacted 28 July 1981 · Extends to United Kingdom

Not fully up to date. 4 changes made by later legislation have not yet been written into this text, which is revised to 1 October 2026.

See the changes not yet applied
ProvisionChangeMade by
s. 16modifiedPlanning (Wales) Act 2026 s. 378(5)
s. 31(3A)(3B)insertedCriminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 s. 85(2)
s. 31(3)(a)word insertedCriminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 s. 85(1)(a)
s. 31(3)(b) and wordinsertedCriminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 s. 85(1)(b)

Contents

  1. The Court of Appeal
  2. The High Court
  3. The Crown Court
  4. Other provisions
  5. Part II: JURISDICTION
  6. 15General jurisdiction of Court of Appeal.
  7. 17Applications for new trial.
  8. Chapter: The High Court
  9. 19General jurisdiction of High Court.
  10. 21Mode of exercise of Admiralty jurisdiction.
  11. 22Restrictions on entertainment of actions in personam in collision and other similar cases.
  12. 23High Court not to have jurisdiction in cases within Rhine Convention.
  13. Other particular fields of jurisdiction
  14. 27Prize jurisdiction of High Court.
  15. 29AFurther provision in connection with quashing orders
  16. 31ATransfer of judicial review applications to Upper Tribunal
  17. Powers
  18. 36Subpoena issued by High Court to run throughout United Kingdom.
  19. Law and equity
  20. 49Concurrent administration of law and equity.
  21. 50Power to award damages as well as, or in substitution for, injunction or specific performance.
  22. 52AAppeals to Crown Court: criminal courts charge
  23. Distribution of business
  24. 53Distribution of business between civil and criminal divisions.
  25. 56Judges not to sit on appeal from their own judgments, etc.
  26. Sittings and vacations
  27. Other provisions
  28. 59Form of judgment of court of criminal division.
  29. 60Rules of court, and decisions of Court of Appeal, as to whether judgment or order is final or interlocutory.
  30. Distribution of business
  31. 62Business of Patents, Admiralty and Commercial Courts.
  32. 64Choice of Division by plaintiff.
  33. 65Power of transfer.
  34. Divisional courts
  35. 66Divisional courts of High Court.
  36. Mode of conducting business
  37. 67Proceedings in court and in chambers.
  38. Sittings and vacations
  39. Other provisions
  40. Composition of court
  41. Distribution of business
  42. Sittings
  43. 94. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Repealed
  44. 95Property held by officers.
  45. Central Office and Accountant General
  46. Judges’ clerks and secretaries
  47. District registries and district registrars
  48. 101Power of one district registrar to act for another.
  49. District probate registries
  50. Procedure in probate registries in relation to grants of representation
  51. 105Applications.
  52. 106Grants by district probate registrars.
  53. 107No grant where conflicting applications.
  54. 108Caveats.
  55. 110Documents to be delivered to Commissioners of Inland Revenue.
  56. 111Records of grants.
  57. Powers of court in relation to personal representatives
  58. 112Summons to executor to prove or renounce.
  59. 113Power of court to sever grant.
  60. 114Number of personal representatives.
  61. 115Grants to trust corporations.
  62. 116Power of court to pass over prior claims to grant.
  63. 117Administration pending suit.
  64. 118Effect of appointment of minor as executor.
  65. 119Administration with will annexed.
  66. 120Power to require administrators to produce sureties.
  67. Revocation of grants and cancellation of resealing at instance of court
  68. 121Revocation of grants and cancellation of resealing at instance of court.
  69. Ancillary powers of court
  70. 122Examination of person with knowledge of testamentary document.
  71. 123Subpoena to bring in testamentary document.
  72. Provisions as to documents
  73. Probate rules
  74. Interpretation of Part V and other probate provisions
  75. Part VI: MISCELLANEOUS AND SUPPLEMENTARY
  76. Miscellaneous provisions
  77. 132Proof of documents bearing seal or stamp of Senior Courts or any office thereof.
  78. 134Powers of attorney deposited before October 1971.
  79. 145Amendment of Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968.
  80. Supplementary
  81. 150Admiralty jurisdiction: provisions as to Channel Islands, Isle of Man, colonies etc.
  82. 151Interpretation of this Act, and rules of construction for other Acts and documents.
  83. 152Amendments of other Acts, transitional provisions, savings and repeals.
  84. 153Citation, commencement and extent.
  85. Family Division
  86. 1Part 1
  87. 3Part 3
  88. Schedule 4: Construction of References to Superseded Courts and Officers
  89. General
  90. 1Paragraph 1
  91. 3Paragraph 3
  92. 4Paragraph 4
  93. Schedule 5: Consequential Amendments
  94. Paragraph
  95. Paragraph Repealed
  96. Paragraph Repealed
  97. Paragraph
  98. Paragraph
  99. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  100. Paragraph
  101. Paragraph Repealed
  102. Paragraph Repealed
  103. Paragraph
  104. Paragraph
  105. ARMY ACT 1955 (c. 18)
  106. Paragraph
  107. AIR FORCE ACT 1955 (c. 19)
  108. Paragraph
  109. PROFESSIONS SUPPLEMENTARY TO MEDICINE ACT 1960 (c. 66)
  110. Paragraph
  111. NURSES (AMENDMENT) ACT 1961 (c. 14)
  112. VETERINARY SURGEONS ACT 1966 (c. 36)
  113. Paragraph
  114. Paragraph
  115. 1Paragraph 1
  116. 2Paragraph 2
  117. 3Paragraph 3
  118. HEARING AID COUNCIL ACT 1968 (c. 50)
  119. ... Repealed
  120. HOVERCRAFT ACT 1968 (c. 59)
  121. 1Paragraph 1
  122. 2Paragraph 2
  123. 1Paragraph 1
  124. 2Paragraph 2
  125. MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1971 (c. 38)
  126. Paragraph
  127. MERCHANT SHIPPING (OIL POLLUTION) ACT 1971 (c. 59)
  128. Paragraph Repealed
  129. Paragraph
  130. Paragraph Repealed
  131. MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT 1974 (c. 43)
  132. 1Paragraph 1
  133. 2Paragraph 2
  134. HOUSE OF COMMONS DISQUALIFICATION ACT 1975 (c. 24)
  135. Paragraph
  136. NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY DISQUALIFICATION ACT 1975 (c. 25)
  137. Paragraph
  138. EVIDENCE (PROCEEDINGS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS) ACT 1975 (c. 34)
  139. 1Paragraph 1
  140. FARRIERS (REGISTRATION) ACT 1975 (c. 35)
  141. Paragraph
  142. Paragraph Repealed
  143. INSURANCE BROKERS (REGISTRATION) ACT 1977 (c. 46)
  144. Paragraph
  145. Paragraph
  146. 1Paragraph 1
  147. 2Paragraph 2
  148. Paragraph Repealed
  149. 1Paragraph 1
  150. 2Paragraph 2
  151. Schedule 6: Transitional Provisions and Savings
  152. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  153. 2Paragraph 2
  154. Tenure, etc. of certain officers
  155. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  156. 7Paragraph 7
  157. 8Paragraph 8
  158. 9Paragraph 9
  159. 10Paragraph 10
  160. 11Paragraph 11
  161. 12Paragraph 12
  162. Schedule 7Schedule 7