Courts Act 2003
Encyclopedia
The Courts Act 2003 is an Act
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
implementing many of the recommendations in Sir Robin Auld's
(a Court of Appeal
judge) Review of the Criminal Courts in England and Wales
(also known as the "Auld Review"). The White Paper
which preceded the Act was published by the Home Office on the 17 July 2002 and called "Justice for All".
The Act has nine parts:
The Act deals predominantly with criminal courts' administration, though certain sections deal with civil matters (notably creating a post of "Head of Civil Justice", enabling provisions for Family procedure rules, and amendments to its Civil procedure equivalent).
The Act also abolished Magistrates' Courts' Committees
, combining the Magistrates' Courts' administration with the Court Service, which was then re-named Her Majesty's Courts Service
. "Fines Officers" are instituted in order to strengthen the system for collecting fines after the existing system was criticised for relative ineffectiveness. Schedule 1 of the Act provided for the establishment of Courts Boards
.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
implementing many of the recommendations in Sir Robin Auld's
Robin Auld
Sir Robin Ernest Auld was a Lord Justice of Appeal in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.Sir Robin was educated at Brooklands College and King's College London. He graduated with a first class honours degree in Law in 1958, obtained a doctorate in Law in 1963, and he became a Fellow of...
(a Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
judge) Review of the Criminal Courts in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
(also known as the "Auld Review"). The White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
which preceded the Act was published by the Home Office on the 17 July 2002 and called "Justice for All".
The Act has nine parts:
- Maintenance of the court systemCourts of England and WalesHer Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they apply the law of England and Wales and are established under Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom does not have...
- Justices of the Peace
- Magistrates' Courts
- Court Security
- Inspectors of Court Administration
- JudgesJudiciary of England and WalesThere are various levels of judiciary in England and Wales — different types of courts have different styles of judges. They also form a strict hierarchy of importance, in line with the order of the courts in which they sit, so that judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales are generally...
- Procedure rules and practice directions
- Miscellaneous
- Final provisions (technical provisions)
The Act deals predominantly with criminal courts' administration, though certain sections deal with civil matters (notably creating a post of "Head of Civil Justice", enabling provisions for Family procedure rules, and amendments to its Civil procedure equivalent).
The Act also abolished Magistrates' Courts' Committees
Magistrates' courts' committees
From 1949 to 2005, magistrates' courts' committees had overall responsibility for management of the magistrates' courts service within their areas in England and Wales.-Origin:...
, combining the Magistrates' Courts' administration with the Court Service, which was then re-named Her Majesty's Courts Service
Her Majesty's Courts Service
Her Majesty's Courts Service is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the civil, family and criminal courts in England and Wales....
. "Fines Officers" are instituted in order to strengthen the system for collecting fines after the existing system was criticised for relative ineffectiveness. Schedule 1 of the Act provided for the establishment of Courts Boards
Courts Boards
Courts Boards to work with Her Majesty's Courts Service in the United Kingdom to improve administration of the courts. Schedule 1 to the Courts Act 2003 made provision for the establishment of Court Boards. There are currently 21 Court Boards...
.
External links
- Department for Constitutional Affairs - The Courts - Courts Act 2003
- The Courts Act 2003, as originally enacted, from the Office of Public Sector InformationOffice of Public Sector InformationThe Office of Public Sector Information is the body responsible for the operation of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and of other public information services of the United Kingdom...
.