Senior Courts Act 1981

District registries and district registrarsE+W

99 District registries.E+W

(1)The Lord Chancellor may by order direct that there shall be district registries of the High Court at such places and for such districts as are specified in the order.

(2)Any order under this section shall be made by statutory instrument, which shall be laid before Parliament after being made.

100 District registrars.E+W

(1)Subject to subsection (2), for each district registry the Lord Chancellor shall appoint a person who is a [F1district judge for a county court district, appointed under section 6 of the County Courts Act 1984, as a district judge of the High Court.]

(2)The Lord Chancellor may, if he thinks fit, appoint two or more persons who are [district judges for a county court district] to execute jointly the office of [F2district judge] in any district registry.

(3)Where joint [district judges] are appointed under subsection (2), the Lord Chancellor may—

(a)give directions with respect to the division between them of the duties of the office of [F2district judge]; and

(b)as he thinks fit, on the death, resignation or removal of one of them, either appoint in place of that person another person to be joint [F2district judge], or give directions that the continuing [F2district judge] shall act as sole [F2district judge] or (as the case may be) that the continuing [district judges] shall execute jointly the office of [F2district judge].

(4)Subsections (4) to (6) of section 92 shall apply in relation to a person appointed as a [F2district judge] as they apply in relation to a person appointed to an office to which subsection (1) of that section applies, except that he shall vacate his office as [F2district judge] at such time as, for any cause whatever, he vacates his office as [F3district judge for a county court district].

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

F5101 Power of one district registrar to act for another.E+W

(1)A [F6district judge] of any registry shall be capable of acting in any other district registry for a [F6district judge] of that registry; and, where a [F6district judge] is so acting, the [F6district judge] of the other registry may divide the duties of his office as he thinks fit between himself and the [F6district judge] acting for him.

F7(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

102 Deputy district registrars.E+W

(1)If it appears to the Lord Chancellor that it is expedient to do so in order to facilitate the disposal of business in the High Court, he may appoint a person to be a [F8deputy district judge] in any district registry during such period or on such occasions as the Lord Chancellor thinks fit.

(2)Subject to subsection (3), a person shall not be qualified for appointment as a [F8deputy district judge] unless he is, or is qualified for appointment as, a [F9district judge for a county court district].

(3)A person may be appointed as a [F8deputy district judge] if he would, but for his age, be qualified for appointment as a [F9district judge for a county court district] and he has previously held the office of [F9district judge for a county court district][F10; but no appointment by virtue of this subsection shall be such as to extend beyond the day on which the person in question attains the age of seventy-five years.]

(4)A [F8deputy district judge], while acting under this section, shall have the same jurisdiction as the [F11district judge].

[F12(5)Subsection (6) of section 91 applies in relation to a deputy district judge appointed under this section as it applies in relation to a person appointed under that section.]

(6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13

F14103. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W