§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Attorney-General if, further to his reply to the question of the hon. Member for Burton on 24 March, he will describe the systems there are for keeping the procedure of the courts under continuous review.
The Solicitor-GeneralCourt procedure is reviewed continuously by the following persons and bodies:
- (a) in respect of the Supreme Court, by the Supreme Court Rule Committee—Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925, s. 99;
14 - (b) in respect of the county courts, by the Lord Chancellor on submissions made to him by the County Court Rule Committee—County Courts Act 1959, s. 102;
- (c) in respect of the Crown Court, by the Crown Court Rule Committee—Courts Act 1971, s. 15;
- (d) in respect of the magistrates courts, by the Lord Chancellor, after consulting the Magistrates' Courts Rule Committee—Justices of the Peace Act 1949, s. 15;
- (e) in respect of matrimonial proceedings, by the Matrimonial Causes Rule Committee—Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, s. 50; and
- (f) in respect of other, specialised, jurisdictions—for example bankruptcy, adoption—by the rule-making body, usually the Lord Chancellor.
In addition to the above bodies, the two Law Reform Committees and the Law Commission are available on reference by the appropriate Ministers, but not continuously, their main concern being with substantive law.