Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Civil Courts (Amendment) Order 2011 and shall come into force—

(a)in respect of Cheltenham County Court, Goole County Court, Harlow County Court, Hitchin County Court, Huntingdon County Court, Leigh County Court, Lowestoft County Court, Newbury County Court, Penzance County Court, Poole County Court and Whitehaven County Court, on 4th July 2011;

(b)in respect of Ashford County Court, Bishop Auckland County Court, Consett County Court, Epsom County Court and Haywards Heath County Court, on 18th July 2011;

(c)in respect of Aberdare County Court, Northwich County Court, Penrith County Court, Pontypool County Court, Runcorn County Court and Southport County Court, on 1st August 2011;

(d)in respect of Salford County Court, on 8th August 2011.

Closure of county courts

2.  The county courts listed in the Schedule to this Order are discontinued.

Establishment of Workington County Court

3.  A county court shall be held at Workington and named West Cumbria County Court.

Jurisdiction under the Insolvency Act 1986

4.  Jurisdiction is conferred on the West Cumbria County Court for the purposes of Parts VIII to XI of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Divorce Jurisdiction

5.  For the purposes of section 33(1) of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 the West Cumbria County Court shall be a divorce county court and a court of trial.

Transitional Provisions

6.—(1) The county courts listed in Table 1 in the column headed ‘receiving court’ shall have jurisdiction in proceedings begun at the county court in the column headed ‘closing court’ before this Order comes into force in accordance with directions made under section 2 of the County Courts Act 1984.

7.  No process shall be invalid only because the holding of any court named in the process has been discontinued by this Order.

Amendments to the Civil Courts Order 1983

8.—(1) The Civil Courts Order 1983(4) is amended as follows.

(2) In Schedule 1, omit —

(a)“Aberdare” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Pontypridd” in the first column;

(b)“Ashford” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Canterbury” in the first column;

(c)“Bishop Auckland” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Durham” in the first column;

(d)“Cheltenham” from its position in the first column and the corresponding entry for “Cheltenham” in the second column;

(e)“Consett” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Sunderland” in the first column;

(f)“Epsom” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Guildford” in the first column;

(g)“Goole” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Doncaster” in the first column;

(h)“Gravesend” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Chatham” in the first column.

(i)“Harlow” from its position in the first column and the corresponding entries for “Harlow” and “Hertford” in the second column;

(j)“Haywards Heath” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Brighton” in the first column;

(k)“Hitchin” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Luton” in the first column;

(l)“Huntingdon” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Peterborough” in the first column;

(m)“Leigh” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Wigan” in the first column;

(n)“Lowestoft” from its position in the first column and the corresponding entry for “Lowestoft” in the second column;

(o)“Nelson from its from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Burnley” in the first column;

(p)“Newbury” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Reading” in the first column;

(q)“Northwich” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Crewe” in the first column;

(r)“Penrith” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Carlisle” in the first column;

(s)“Penzance” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Truro” in the first column;

(t)“Pontypool” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Newport (Gwent)” in the first column;

(u)“Poole” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Bournemouth” in the first column;

(v)“Runcorn” from its position in the second column opposite the entry for “Chester” in the first column;

(w)“Salford” from its position in the first column and the corresponding entry for “Salford” in the second column;

(x)“Southport” from its position in the first column and the corresponding entry for “Southport” in the second column;

(y)“Whitehaven” from its position in the first column and the corresponding entry for “Whitehaven” in the second column.

(3) In Schedule 1, insert—

(a)“Hertford” in the second column opposite the entry for “Chelmsford” in the first column;

(b)“Workington” in the appropriate alphabetical position in the first column and insert “Workington” in the corresponding entry in the second column.

(4) In Schedule 3, omit the entry relating to—

(a)Aberdare County Court;

(b)Ashford County Court;

(c)Bishop Auckland County Court;

(d)Cheltenham County Court;

(e)Consett County Court;

(f)Epsom County Court;

(g)Goole County Court;

(h)Leigh County Court;

(i)Harlow County Court;

(j)Haywards Heath County Court;

(k)Hitchin County Court;

(l)Huntingdon County Court;

(m)Lowestoft County Court;

(n)Newbury County Court

(o)Northwich County Court;

(p)Penrith County Court;

(q)Penzance County Court;

(r)Pontypool County Court;

(s)Poole County Court;

(t)Runcorn County Court;

(u)Salford County Court;

(v)Southport County Court;

(w)Whitehaven County Court.

(5) In Schedule 3, after the entry for “Welshpool” insert—

(a)in the first column “Workington”;

(b)in the second column “Bankruptcy”, “Company or LLP” and “Divorce”.

(6) In Schedule 4 insert at the end—

“15.  The name of the county court at Bournemouth shall be the Bournemouth and Poole County Court.

16.  The name of the county court at Gloucester shall be the Gloucester and Cheltenham County Court.

17.  The name of the county court at Workington shall be the West Cumbria County Court.”.

Article 2

SCHEDULECounty Courts to be discontinued

• Aberdare County Court

• Ashford County Court

• Bishop Auckland County Court

• Cheltenham County Court

• Consett County Court

• Epsom County Court

• Goole County Court

• Leigh County Court

• Harlow County Court

• Haywards Heath County Court

• Hitchin County Court

• Huntingdon County Court

• Lowestoft County Court

• Newbury County Court

• Northwich County Court

• Penrith County Court

• Penzance County Court

• Pontypool County Court

• Poole County Court

• Runcorn County Court

• Salford County Court

• Southport County Court

• Whitehaven County Court

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Civil Courts Order 1983. The county courts listed in the Schedule to this Order are discontinued.

A new county court is to be held at Workington, named West Cumbria County Court.

Jurisdiction in respect of existing cases in closing courts is transferred to named courts. Where the district of a closing court is redistributed to more than one court, directions made by the Lord Chancellor, which will be available at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/bills-and-acts/index.htm, indicate the new districts.

This Order corrects references to closed courts that should have been removed previously.