Schedule 10 - The family court

Crime and Courts Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:15 pm on 29 January 2013.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Oliver Heald Oliver Heald The Solicitor-General 3:15, 29 January 2013

I beg to move amendment 49, in schedule 10, page 150, line 28, leave out

‘legal adviser or assistant legal adviser’ and insert

‘justices’ clerk or an assistant to a justices’ clerk’.

Photo of Martin Caton Martin Caton Labour, Gower

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Government amendments 50 to 68.

Amendment 74, in schedule 10, page 158, line 8, after ‘legal adviser’, insert

‘provided the functions are deemed to be essentially administrative in nature (for example, case management decisions)’.

Amendment 75, in schedule 10, page 158, leave out lines 12 to 23.

Amendment 76, in schedule 10, page 158, leave out lines 24 to 27.

Photo of Oliver Heald Oliver Heald The Solicitor-General

The Government amendments in this group are technical and pertain to the naming of the justices’ clerk and the assistant to the justices’ clerk. We thought about a change to “legal advisers,” but have changed our minds, and will stick with the original, tried and tested “justices’ clerk” and “assistant to the justices’ clerk,” as in the Courts Act 2003.

Amendment 49 agreed to.

Amendments made: 50, in schedule 10, page 157, line 40, leave out from ‘31O' to end of line 3 on page 158 and insert

‘Justices’ clerks and assistants: functions’.

Amendment 51, in schedule 10, page 158, line 8, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 52, in schedule 10, page 158, line 9, leave out from ‘a’ to end of line 11 and insert

‘justices’ clerk given under paragraph (a), or specified in subsection (5), to be carried out by an assistant to a justices’ clerk.’.

Amendment 53, in schedule 10, page 158, line 12, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 54, in schedule 10, page 158, line 17, leave out ‘adviser’ and insert ‘clerk’.

Amendment 55, in schedule 10, page 158, line 18, leave out

‘adviser thinks that the adviser’

and insert

‘clerk thinks that the clerk’.

Amendment 56, in schedule 10, page 158, line 25, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 57, in schedule 10, page 158, line 27, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 58, in schedule 10, page 158, line 28, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 59, in schedule 10, page 158, line 32, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘to a justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 60, in schedule 10, page 158, line 33, leave out ‘legal adviser’ and insert ‘justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 61, in schedule 10, page 158, line 37, leave out

‘legal adviser or assistant legal adviser’

and insert

‘justices’ clerk or an assistant to a justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 62, in schedule 10, page 158, line 43, leave out

‘legal adviser or assistant legal adviser’

and insert

‘justices’ clerk or an assistant to a justices’ clerk’.

Amendment 63, in schedule 10, page 159, line 11, leave out from beginning to end of line 13 on page 160.

Amendment 64, in schedule 10, page 160, line 22, leave out

‘regulations under section 31P(4) or’.

Amendment 65, in schedule 10, page 160, line 24, leave out ‘regulations or’.

Amendment 66, in schedule 10, page 169, line 2, at end insert—

51A In section 144 (procedure rules for civil proceedings in magistrates’ courts and before justices’ clerks) after subsection (1) insert—

(1ZA) Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to functions of justices’ clerks given under section 31O(4)(a), or specified in section 31O(5), of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (functions in the family court).”’.

Amendment 67, in schedule 10, page 174, line 14, at end insert—

‘( ) After subsection (2) insert—

(2A) Subsection (2) does not apply in relation to functions of a justices’ clerk given under section 31O(4)(a), or specified in section 31O(5), of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (functions in the family court, but see section 31O(4)(b) of that Act).”’.

Amendment 68, in schedule 10, page 174, line 20, at end insert—

87A In section 34(2) (no order for costs in legal proceedings to be made against justices’ clerk or assistant in respect of acts or omissions in exercising functions of a single justice of the peace) after “function of a single justice of the peace” insert “or a function of the family court or of a judge of that court.”’.—(Oliver Heald.)

Schedule 10, as amended, agreed to.

Schedule 11 agreed to.