{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981/section-26",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981/section-26.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/54",
  "legislation_title": "Senior Courts Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981",
  "path": "section/26",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "26",
  "heading": "Matrimonial jurisdiction of High Court.",
  "text": "The High Court shall, in accordance with section 19(2), have all such jurisdiction in relation to matrimonial causes and matters as was immediately before the commencement of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1857 vested in or exercisable by any ecclesiastical court or person in England or Wales in respect of—\n(a) divorce a mensa et thoro (renamed judicial separation by that Act);\n(b) nullity of marriage . . . ; and\n(c) any matrimonial cause or matter except marriage licences.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words repealed by Family Law Act 1986 (c. 55, SIF 49:3), s. 68(1)(2), Sch. 1 para. 25, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1857 c. 85."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/54/section/26",
    "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."
}