Section 71 Sittings and vacations.

England and Wales

(1)

Sittings of the High Court may be held, and any other business of the High Court may be conducted, at any place in England or Wales.

(2)

Subject to rules of court—

(a)

the places at which the High Court sits outside the Royal Courts of Justice; and

(b)

the days and times when the High Court sits at any place outside the Royal Courts of Justice,

shall be determined in accordance with directions given by the Lord Chancellor F1after consulting the Lord Chief Justice.

(3)

Rules of court may make provision for regulating the vacations to be observed by the High Court and in the offices of that court.

(4)

Rules of court—

(a)

may provide for securing such sittings of any Division of the High Court during vacation as the senior judge of that Division may with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor determine; and

(b)

without prejudice to paragraph (a), shall provide for the transaction during vacation by judges of the High Court of all such business in the High Court as may require to be immediately or promptly transacted.

(5)

Different provision may be made in pursuance of subsection (3) for different parts of the country.

F2(6)

The Lord Chief Justice may nominate a judicial office holder (as defined in section 109(4) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005) to exercise his functions under this section.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Words in s. 71(2) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15, 148, Sch. 4 para. 132(2); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(p)
F2: S. 71(6) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15, 148, Sch. 4 para. 132(3); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(a), Sch. 1 para. 11(p)

Notes on the whole Act

Textual amendments

F1: Act: "The Supreme Court Act 1981 (c. 54) may be cited as the Senior Courts Act 1981" (1.10.2009) by virtue of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 1(1); S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2(d)
F2: Act: words 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)