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Local justice areas are units in England and Wales established by the Courts Act 2003,[1] replacing[1] and directly based on[citation needed] the previous petty sessional divisions. They have been in existence since 2005.[2]

Whilst previously, local justice areas were used to determine which magistrates' courts may hear a particular case, since 1 April 2015, any magistrates' court in England and Wales may hear any case from anywhere in England and Wales. [3][4]

The areas established were identical to the petty sessional divisions. They have since been amended by the merger of South Pembrokeshire and North Pembrokeshire to a single Pembrokeshire local justice area,[5] and the merger of De Maldwyn and Welshpool to a single Montgomeryshire local justice area[5] – this change came into force in 2006, although the magistrates already shared the same courtroom.

A further amendment occurred in 2006 when the areas of Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Drayton were combined to become a new area named Shrewsbury and North Shropshire.[6] The areas of Telford and Bridgnorth and South Shropshire were also combined to become a new area named Telford and South Shropshire.[6]

A major rearrangement culminated in April 2017, when many local justice areas were amalgamated to leave 75 across England and Wales. [7][8][9][10][11]

Each local justice area was part of a larger courts board area, which replaced the magistrates' courts committee areas with the inauguration of Her Majesty's Courts Service in 2005.[12] Courts boards were abolished in 2012. [13]

Local Justice Areas will be abolished once Section 45 of the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 is brought into force. [14]

Post 2017 Local Justice Areas

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These are the Local Justice Areas as lasted merged by The Local Justice Areas Order 2016, in effect from 1 April 2017: [8][9][10][11]

  • Avon and Somerset replaces the areas of Bristol, North Avon and Somerset.
  • Cardiff replaces the areas of Newcastle and Ogmore and Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
  • Cambridgeshire replaces the areas of Huntingdonshire, North Cambridgeshire and South Cambridgeshire.
  • Cheshire replaces the areas of North Cheshire, South and East Cheshire, and West Cheshire.
  • Cleveland replaces the areas of Hartlepool and Teesside.
  • Dorset replaces the areas of East Dorset and West Dorset.
  • East Hampshire replaces the areas of South East Hampshire and South Hampshire.
  • Greater Manchester replaces the areas of Bolton, Bury and Rochdale, Manchester and Salford, Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan and Leigh.
  • Humber replaces the areas of East Yorkshire, Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Hull and Holderness, and North Lincolnshire.
  • Lancashire replaces the areas of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, Chorley, East Lancashire, Fylde Coast, Lancaster, Ormskirk, and Preston and South Ribble.
  • Merseyside replaces the areas of Liverpool and Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral.
  • Mid Wales replaces the areas of Brecknock and Radnorshire and Glamorgan Valleys.
  • Northamptonshire replaces the areas of Corby, Kettering, and Northampton, Daventry and Towcester, and Wellingborough.
  • North Central Wales replaces the areas of Conwy and Denbighshire.
  • North Northumbria replaces the areas of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Mid and South East Northumberland, Newcastle and Tynedale, and North Tyneside District.
  • North West Wales replaces the areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey (Ynys Môn).
  • North Yorkshire replaces the areas of Harrogate and Skipton, Northallerton and Richmond, Scarborough and York and Selby.
  • South Northumbria replaces the areas of Gateshead District, City of Sunderland and South Tyneside District.
  • South Yorkshire replaces the areas of Barnsley District, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield.
  • Staffordshire replaces the areas of Central and Southwest Staffordshire, North Staffordshire, and South East Staffordshire.
  • Surrey replaces the areas of North Surrey, South East Surrey, and South West Surrey.
  • West Sussex replaces the areas of Sussex (Northern) and Sussex (Western)
  • West Yorkshire replaces the areas of Bradford and Keighley, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds District, and Wakefield and Pontefract.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Courts Act 2003: Section 8", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 2003 c. 39 (s. 8)
  2. ^ "Local Justice Areas Order 2005", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2005/554
  3. ^ "Memorandum by the Magistrates' Association, Judicial Policy & Practice Committee". UK Parliament Publications and Records. House of Commons. 17 March 2006. Retrieved 17 February 2023. Our suggested solution, based upon the fact that from 1 April 2005 magistrates have the capability to hear cases anywhere within the jurisdiction of their National Commission, and not just within their local area...
  4. ^ "Courts Act 2003 Explanatory Notes". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 20 November 2003. 95. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b "The Local Justice Areas (No.2) Order 2005", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2005/2949
  6. ^ a b "The Local Justice Areas (No.1) Order 2006", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2006/1839
  7. ^ "Local Justice Areas 2021" (PDF). What Do They Know. HMCTS. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. ^ a b "The Local Justice Areas Order 2016", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 15 September 2016, SI 2016/941, retrieved 15 February 2023
  9. ^ a b "The Local Justice Areas (No. 2) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 15 September 2015, SI 2015/1870, retrieved 3 March 2023
  10. ^ a b "The Local Justice Areas Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 9 July 2015, SI 2015/1506, retrieved 3 March 2023
  11. ^ a b "The Local Justice Areas (No. 3) Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 25 October 2014, SI 2014/2867, retrieved 3 March 2023
  12. ^ "The Courts Boards Areas (Amendment) Order 2004", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2004/1303
  13. ^ The Public Bodies (Abolition of Courts Boards) Order 2012, UK Statutory Instruments 2012, 2012, Wikidata Q99682324
  14. ^ "Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022: Section 45", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 2022 c. 35 (s. 45)
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