{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981/section-85",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981/section-85.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/54",
  "legislation_title": "Senior Courts Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senior-courts-act-1981",
  "path": "section/85",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "85",
  "heading": "The Senior Courts Rule Committee.",
  "text": "(1) The power to make rules of court under section 84 in relation to the High Court and the civil division of the Court of Appeal shall be exercisable by the Lord Chancellor together with any four or more of the following persons, namely—\n(a) the Lord Chief Justice,\n(b) the Master of the Rolls,\n(c) the President of the Family Division,\n(d) the Vice-Chancellor,\n(e) three other judges of the Senior Courts,\n(f) two persons who have a Senior Courts qualification (within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990); and\n(g) two persons who have been granted by an authorised body, under Part II of that Act, the right to conduct litigation in relation to all proceedings in the Senior Courts.\n(2) The persons mentioned in subsection (1), acting in pursuance of that subsection, shall be known as “the Senior Courts Rule Committee”.\n(3) The persons to act in pursuance of subsection (1) with the Lord Chancellor, other than those eligible to act by virtue of their office, shall be appointed by the Lord Chancellor for such time as he may think fit.\n(4) Before appointing a person under paragraph (f) or (g) of subsection (1), the Lord Chancellor shall consult any authorised body with members who are eligible for appointment under that paragraph.]",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 85 omitted (26.4.1999) by virtue of 1997 c. 12, s. 10, Sch. 2 para. 1(5); S.I. 1999/1009, art. 3(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 85 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": "F3",
      "text": "S. 85(1)(f)(g) substituted by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 36(1)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 85(4) substituted by Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41, SIF 37), s. 125(3), Sch. 18 para. 36(1)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 85 sidenote 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)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/54/section/85",
    "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."
}