THE County Court for England and Wales

Mayor's and City of London Court

As from 22nd April 2014, "Local" County Courts have gone and are replaced by a single County Court for England and Wales.  For the relevant legislation see:


Primary legislation:

Crime and Courts Act 2013 section 17 - inserting section A1 into the County Courts Act 1984.  Read section 17 along with the lengthy Schedule 9. 




Statutory Instruments:

2014/954 - Crime and Courts Act 2013 (Commencement No. 10 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2014

2014/407 - Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2014

2014/503 - County Court Jurisdiction Order 2014

2014/821 - High Court and County Court Jurisdiction (Amendment) Order 2014

2014/867 - Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 4) Rules 2014

2014/874 - Civil Proceedings Fees (Amendment) Order 2014

2014/982 - County Court Remedies Regulations 2014

Civil Justice Centre - Manchester

A very helpful and succinct summary of the changes has been produced by Richard Gold of St John's Chambers.  See also

Amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules coming into force in April 2014;

Farewell to the County Court; introducing the Single County Court;

Ministry of Justice - Crime and Courts Bill (as it then was) December 2012;

Keith Etherington - Changes from April 2014;

Shailesh Vara MP - Law Society Gazette 31st March - Court Reform

This plethora of legislation is exceptionally labyrinthine.  For such an important change, some way ought to have been found to simplify matters rather than have an almost endless trail of 'cut and paste' amendments.

I am not entirely sure what has happened to the Mayor's and City of London Court and an authoritative answer is welcome.  This court has a long history predating the establishment of a system of County Courts in 1846.  See Wikepedia and the Of Interest to Lawyers blog.   The Crime and Courts Act 2013 Schedule 9 para. 24 states:

Omit section 42(2) and (3) of the Courts Act 1971 (City of London to be a county court district, and the county court for that district to be known as the Mayor's and City of London Court).

Addendum 2nd June 2014:  An authoritative answer was obtained by the author of the Of Interest to Lawyers blog - see his post of 1st June 2014 - The Mayor's and City of London Court, now renamed: the County Court sitting at Mayor’s and City of London Court