§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he has any proposal to increase judicial and other county court manpower and improve equipment and county court premises following the increase in the limit of the county court jurisdiction in Northern Ireland.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe Lord Chancellor has announced his intention to increase the current financial limits on the general civil jurisdiction of the county courts in Northern Ireland. This will initially be achieved by an increase to £10,000—from £5,000—in November 1992, with a further increase to £15,000 in September 1993. In determining the new jurisdictional levels, the Lord Chancellor has given careful consideration to the ability of the county courts to cope with any increased workload resulting from the increase and is satisfied that the county courts have sufficient capacity and resources to cope with the increased volume of business. At the same time, the Lord Chancellor recognises the need to continue to keep the position under review to ensure that the county court system in Northern Ireland is adequately resourced and equipped.
§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has for a general reform of county court rules in Northern Ireland; and when he expects such a review to be completed.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe regulation of the procedures in the county courts in Northern Ireland is a matter for the County Court Rules Committee established under article 46 of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980. The Lord Chancellor is aware, however, that the rules committee intends to carry out a wide ranging review of county court procedure to determine ways in which the current arrangements might be improved.
§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he proposes to replace the present periodic county court sittings in Northern Ireland with a system of continuous sitting along the lines current in the Northern Ireland High Court.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe present arrangements for periodic sittings of the county court in Northern Ireland have generally worked in a satisfactory manner. The Lord Chancellor is conscious, however, that a system of continuous sittings may have some advantages and will wish to explore alternative methods of entry and listing of 295W county court actions. Accordingly the Lord Chancellor's officials in Northern Ireland will be examining, in consultation with the County Court Rules Committee and interested parties in Northern Ireland, the possibility of introducing a continuous listings system.
§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) whether he will introduce automatic discovery and disclosure of medical reports in personal injury actions in the county court in Northern Ireland;
(2) whether he intends to introduce into the county court in Northern Ireland a procedure for summary judgment analogous to order 14 procedure in the High Court in Northern Ireland.
Mr. John M. TaylorThe revision of county court procedures in Northern Ireland is primarily the responsibility of the rules committee established under article 46 of the County Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1980. It is understood that further consideration of the present procedures on discovery of documents, exchange of medical and other expert evidence, and procedures for obtaining summary judgment will form part of the rules committee's review referred to in my earlier answer.
§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many different types of originating process exist in the county court in Northern Ireland; and what proposals there are to reduce the number thereof.
Mr. John M.Taylor'There are currently three basic means of initiating proceedings in the county courts in Northern Ireland; by civil bill, by petition and by notice of application. There are, however, five types of civil bill—ordinary, equity, ejectment, default and summary civil bills. As explained in previous answers, the forms of originating process to be employed in the county courts are determined by the County Court Rules Committee. It may be that some reduction in the number of types of originating process will be effected by the rules committee as a result of the wider review of county court procedures mentioned in the answer to an earlier question.