{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981/section-153",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981/section-153.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/54",
  "legislation_title": "Senior Courts Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981",
  "path": "section/153",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "153",
  "heading": "Citation, commencement and extent.",
  "text": "(1) This Act may be cited as the Senior Courts Act 1981.\n(2) This Act, except the provisions mentioned in subsection (3), shall come into force on 1st January 1982; and references to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as references to the beginning of that day.\n(3) Sections 72, 143 and 152(2) and this section shall come into force on the passing of this Act.\n(4) In this Act—\n(a) the following provisions extend to Scotland, namely—\nsection 80(3);\nsection 152(4) and Schedule 7, so far as they relate to the Admiralty Court Act 1861;\n(b) the following provisions extend to Northern Ireland so far as they relate to the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975, namely—\nsection 152(1) and Schedule 5;\nsection 152(3) and paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 6;\n(c) the following provisions extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland, namely—\nsection 36;\nsections 132 and 134(3);\nsection 152(1) and Schedule 5, so far as they amend—\n(i)references to section 49 of the Senior Courts of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925,\n(ii)the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, and\n(iii)section 4 of the Evidence (Proceedings in Other Jurisdictions) Act 1975;\nsection 152(3) and paragraph 3(1) of Schedule 6, so far as they relate to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975;\nsection 152(4) and Schedule 7, so far as they relate to—\n(i)provisions of the Senior Courts of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925 which extend throughout the United Kingdom,\n(ii)the Evidence and Powers of Attorney Act 1940, and\n(iii)section 57(3)(a) of the Courts Act 1971;\n(d) section 145 extends to any place to which the Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968 extends, and section 152(1) and (4) and Schedules 5 and 7, so far as they relate to any of the following enactments, namely—\nArmy Act 1955,\nAir Force Act 1955,\nsection 9(2) of, and Part II of Schedule 1 to, the Criminal Appeal Act 1966,\nCourts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968,\nHovercraft Act 1968,\n. . .\nextend to any place to which that enactment extends;\nbut, save as aforesaid, the provisions of this Act, other than those mentioned in subsection (5), extend to England and Wales only.\n(5) The provisions of this Act whose extent is not restricted by subsection (4) are—\nsection 27;\nsection 150;\nsection 151(1);\nsection 152(4) and Schedule 7 as far as they relate to the Naval Prize Act 1864, the Prize Courts Act 1915 and section 56 of the Administration of Justice Act 1956;\nthis section;\nparagraph 1 of Schedule 4.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 153 substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 26(1); S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 153(4)(d) repealed (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(1), 316(2), Sch.12 (with ss. 312(1), Sch. 14 para. 1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1861 c. 10."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1975 c. 25."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M3",
      "text": "1925 c. 49."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M4",
      "text": "1975 c. 24."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M5",
      "text": "1975 c. 34."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M6",
      "text": "1925 c. 49."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M7",
      "text": "1940 c. 28."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M8",
      "text": "1971 c. 23."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M9",
      "text": "1968 c. 20."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M10",
      "text": "1955 c. 18."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M11",
      "text": "1955 c. 19."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M12",
      "text": "1966 c. 31."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M13",
      "text": "1968 c. 59."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M14",
      "text": "1864 c. 25."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M15",
      "text": "1915 c. 57."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M16",
      "text": "1956 c. 46."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/54/section/153",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:48.516361+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."
}