Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland
FAMILY PROCEEDINGS
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY COURTS
Made
17th March 2005
To be laid before Parliament
Coming into operation
18th April 2005
We, the Family Proceedings Rules Committee, in exercise of the powers conferred on us by Article 12 of the Family Law (Northern Ireland) Order 1993(1) hereby with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor, make the following Rules:
1.—(1) These Rules may be cited as the Family Proceedings (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation on 18th April 2005.
(2) In these Rules “the principal Rules” means the Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996(2).
2. The Principal Rules shall be amended as follows:
(a)in rule 1.3 for the definition of “Master” there shall be substituted the following definition –
““Master” means
in relation to proceedings in the High Court, the Master (High Court) or the Master (Care and Protection) as the case may be; and
in relation to proceedings in a county court a district judge;”; and
(b)in rule 4.17 after paragraph (6) add the following new paragraph –
“(7) The court may hold a directions appointment by telephone or by using any other method of direct oral communication.”.
Brian Kerr
Patrick Markey
John Gillen
R. McLaughlin
Dated 15th March 2005
Signed by the authority of the Lord Chancellor
I concur
Baroness Ashton of Upholland
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,
Department for Constitutional Affairs
Dated 17th March 2005
(This Note is not part of the Rules)
These Rules amend the Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996 to: –
amend the definition of Master so that in relation to proceedings in the High Court it means Master (High Court) rather than Master (Probate and Matrimonial); and
enable the court to hold a directions appointment by telephone or by using any other method of direct oral communication.
S.I. 1993/1576 (N.I. 6)