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47-639: The County Court of England and Wales dates back to the County Courts Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. 95), which received royal assent on 28 August 1846 and was brought into force on 15 March 1847. England and Wales (with the exception of the City of London , which was outside the scope of the Act) were divided into 60 circuits, with a total of 491 county courts within these circuits. The then Lord Chancellor , Lord Cottenham , wanted everyone to be within seven miles of

94-532: A common jail system managed by the county sheriffs departments. For example, in Texas, county courts exclusively handle Class A and B misdemeanors (these carry jail time as well as fines), share jurisdiction with justice of the peace and district courts on some mid-size civil cases, and have appellate jurisdiction from municipal and justice of the peace court cases. With the growth of the largest cities, many large urban centers have subsumed whole or most of counties within

141-466: A county court with more than one location in its title would sit at each location named. The obligation for one court to sit in multiple locations was removed by the Civil Courts Order 1983. Instead, it was specified that a county court was to be held at each location named in the order and courts were to be named after that one location (save for a few exceptions where the name of a former court town

188-566: A court in person, by post or via the Internet in some cases through the County Court Bulk Centre . Cases are normally heard at the court having jurisdiction over the area where the claimant lives. Most matters are decided by a district judge or circuit judge sitting alone. Civil matters in England (with minor exceptions, e.g. in some actions against the police) do not have juries. Judges in

235-405: A court, and the final scheme came close to that aim. One county court judge was appointed to each circuit, assisted by one or more registrars with some limited judicial powers, and would travel between the courts in his area as necessary, sitting in each court at least once a month. Few permanent courts were needed initially, given the infrequency of court hearings, and temporary accommodation such as

282-403: A defined "county court district" from which it took claims. County court districts did not have the same boundaries as counties: the name was used because the county courts had evolved from courts which did in fact correspond to a county's territory. Today the court sits in many County Court centres, currently corresponding to the old individual county courts. County Court matters can be lodged at

329-410: A few hundreds of thousands of dollars. The limits vary between states. In some states the same level of court is called a district court . Below them are the magistrates courts . Above them are the state supreme courts . Some states adopt the two-tier appellate system, with the magistrates courts below and the state supreme courts above. In Northern Ireland there are seven county courts, following

376-632: A town hall would often be used where there was no existing courthouse for use. In some places, a building is now shared with the Crown Court (as at Maidstone Combined Court Centre, for example), the Family Court , or a magistrates' court . The judicial business of the County Court is now carried out by circuit judges (a term introduced by the Courts Act 1971 ) and district judges (as the post of registrar

423-557: Is a court of original jurisdiction , and thus handles mostly trials of accused felons. The New York County Court "is established in each county outside New York City. It is authorized to handle the prosecution of all crimes committed within the County. The County Court also has limited jurisdiction in civil cases ...." More specifically, the New York County Court is: authorized to handle the prosecution of all crimes committed within

470-439: Is a national civil court for England and Wales with unlimited financial jurisdiction. The County Court sits in various County Court buildings and courtrooms throughout England and Wales, and not in one single location. It is a single court in the sense of a single centrally organised and administered court system. The County Court centres the court sits in today correspond to the earlier individual county courts. The history of

517-563: Is not a separate court). Claims between £10,000 and £25,000 (£15,000 for cases started before April 2009) that are capable of being tried within one day are allocated to the "fast track" and claims over £25,000 (£15,000 for cases started before April 2009) to the "multi track." These 'tracks' are labels for the use of the court system - the actual cases will be heard in the County Court or the High Court depending on their value. For personal injury , defamation , and some landlord-tenant dispute cases

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564-515: Is officially described as "a single civil court" named the County Court, with unlimited financial jurisdiction. However it should be understood that there are County Court buildings and courtrooms throughout England and Wales, not one single location. It is "a single civil court" in the sense of a single centrally organised and administered court system . Before 2014 there were numerous separate county court systems, each with jurisdiction across England and Wales for enforcement of its orders, but each with

611-500: Is the name given to the intermediate court in one Australian state , namely the County Court of Victoria (in other states and territories it is called the 'District Court'). They hear indictable (serious) criminal offences except for treason , murder , and manslaughter . Their civil jurisdiction is also intermediate, typically over civil disputes where the amount claimed is greater than a few tens of thousands of dollars but less than

658-435: Is used in consumer credit scores , making it difficult or more expensive for the defendant to obtain credit. In order to avoid the record being kept for years in the register, the debt must be settled within thirty days after the date the County Court judgment was served (unless the judgment was later set aside). If the debt was not fully paid within the statutory period, the entry will remain for six full years. County court

705-567: The Anglo Saxon period (450-1066) the Comitatus was a court of law and not an organization for military purposes. In Anglo Saxon England , the name for court was gemot and all courts were called by this name. Later, the shire court was an early form of representative democracy. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, there was further development of county courts and government. All of England

752-460: The Crime and Courts Act 2013 replaced the previous system of county courts for different localities with one County Court that operates throughout England and Wales, sitting in multiple locations simultaneously. In July 2015, further proposals to close nineteen County Court venues were announced. All name changes before 1 August 1983 reflect changes in the locations where the court sat. Before then,

799-516: The High Court of Justice or to the Court of Appeal . In debt cases, the aim of a claimant taking County Court action against a defendant is to secure a County Court judgment . This is a legal order to pay the full amount of the debt. Judgments can be enforced at the request of the claimant in a number of ways, including requesting the court bailiffs to seize goods, the proceeds of any sale being used to pay

846-503: The High Court of Justice in Ireland or the assizes . Its jurisdiction was similar to that of the county courts in England and Wales. However, they differed from those court in their procedures. Claims were initiated by way of civil bill . Most matters were tried by a county court judge, and where necessary, a jury. The main administrative officer of the county court in each county was the Clerk of

893-401: The county . It has exclusive authority to handle trials in felony matters and shares authority with the local city, town and village courts to handle trials in misdemeanor cases (offenses punishable by less than one year in prison) and other minor offenses and violations. The County Court also has limited authority to hear civil cases involving monetary awards of $ 25,000 or less. Although

940-462: The County Court are either former barristers or former solicitors, whereas in the High Court they are more likely to have formerly been a barrister . Civil claims with an amount in controversy under £10,000 (the Jackson Reforms have increased this from £5,000) are dealt with in the County Court under the small claims track (sometimes known to the lay public as "small claims court," although it

987-662: The County Court is primarily a trial court, in the Third and Fourth Departments it also has appellate jurisdiction over cases originating in City, Town and Village Courts. In New York City, the New York City Criminal Court handles such jurisdiction. Otherwise in the United States, the courts of original jurisdiction in most states have jurisdiction over a particular county, parish, shire, or borough (comparable area entities in

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1034-428: The County Court under the small claims track (sometimes known to the lay public as "small claims court," although it is not a separate court). Claims between £5,000 and £25,000 (£15,000 for cases started before April 2009) that are capable of being tried within one day are allocated to the "fast track" and claims over £25,000 (£15,000 for cases started before April 2009) to the "multi track." These 'tracks' are labels for

1081-765: The Crown and Peace. The Courts of Justice Act 1924 abolished the county courts in the Irish Free State and transferred their jurisdiction (together with that of the quarter sessions) to the Circuit Court . The Circuit Court is still based on the organisational structure established for the county courts and the main administrative officer of each circuit is now called the County Registrar. County courts continue to exist in Northern Ireland . Civil bills are still used as

1128-497: The English county court is one of the most interesting branches of the legal history of England. The first mention of what was to become a court was the concept of a Comitatus in the time of the early Germans. According to the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus 's treatise Germania (AD 98), the comitatus was a military bond between a Germanic warrior and his Lord. Later, during

1175-639: The United States). In those states with an administrative county court, the body acts as the executive agency for the local government. For example, Harry S. Truman was county judge of Jackson County, Missouri in the 1930s, an executive position rather than a judicial post. The County Commissioners in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts manage the county government, including funding civil and criminal courts, jails and Sheriffs departments overseeing said jails, as well as recording deeds, maintaining county roads and

1222-505: The claimant lives. Most matters are decided by a district judge or circuit judge sitting alone. Civil matters in England (with minor exceptions, e.g. in some actions against the police) do not have juries. Judges in the County Court are either former barristers or former solicitors, whereas in the High Court they are more likely to have formerly been a barrister . Civil claims with an amount in controversy under £10,000 (the Jackson Reforms have increased this from £5,000) are dealt with in

1269-575: The county superior or circuit court. In New York, 'superior'/'circuit' courts are called "supreme court". The court that in other US jurisdictions is called "supreme court" is called "court of appeal" in New York, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Prior to 1924, the county courts were the main civil courts in Ireland , having jurisdiction over most civil matters, except for the larger actions which were heard by

1316-454: The debt, or an Attachment of Earnings Order, where the defendant's employer is ordered to make deductions from the gross wages to pay the claimant. County Court judgments are recorded in the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and in the defendant's credit records held by credit reference agencies. This information is used in consumer credit scores , making it difficult or more expensive for

1363-411: The defendant to obtain credit. In order to avoid the record being kept for years in the register, the debt must be settled within thirty days after the date the County Court judgment was served (unless the judgment was later set aside). If the debt was not fully paid within the statutory period, the entry will remain for six full years. County court Since 2014, England and Wales have had what

1410-512: The family proceedings courts. Many United States states have a county court system which, least common, may be purely administrative (such as in Missouri ), focused primarily on registration of properties and deeds, or, most often, may have jurisdiction over civil cases such as lawsuits and criminal courts and jails (such as in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, et cetera) where trials from misdemeanors to felony cases are centered about

1457-399: The full title of each court was The County Court of (county) holden at (location/locations) , using the historic county names for England and for Wales . Thereafter, each court was renamed as (location/s) County Court . For brevity, the latter form is used throughout in this table, and "County Court" is abbreviated to "CC". County Court (England and Wales) The County Court

List of County Court venues in England and Wales - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-412: The like. In point of fact, each state has adjusted local governments powers and interactions to suit their own needs, so no one model is uniform even within the same state when the county is interfacing with a major city. In counties of Tennessee , the primary legislative body was called a county court until the ratification by the voters of the state of the constitutional amendments of 1978, which change

1551-507: The lower two tiers split original jurisdiction for both criminal and civil matters. broadly speaking, the jurisdiction of "county courts" is limited to misdemeanors and civil actions involving amounts in controversy less than $ 15,000.00, while the "circuit courts" handle felonies and larger civil cases. In the states that have a judicial county court, such as New York, it generally handles trials for felonies, as well as appeals of misdemeanors from local courts and some small claims cases. It

1598-478: The most part, left in place to start with, their days were numbered and section 28 of the County Courts Act 1867 ( 30 & 31 Vict. c. 142) gave the new court system exclusive jurisdiction over other inferior courts (i.e. other than the High Court) for most purposes. Further reorganisation was achieved by the Courts Act 1971 , which abolished the title of county court judge and redesignated existing holders of

1645-520: The number of locations where a county court is held. In June 2010, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to close 54 county courts and 103 magistrates' courts, in order to save £15m in annual running costs and £22m in necessary maintenance. After consultation, it was decided to keep five of these county courts open: Barnsley, Bury, Llangefni, the Mayor's and City of London Court , and Skipton. From 22 April 2014,

1692-409: The office as circuit judges . Since 2014, England and Wales have had what is officially described as "a single civil court" named the County Court, with unlimited financial jurisdiction. County Court matters can be lodged at a court in person, by post or via the Internet in some cases through the County Court Bulk Centre . Cases are normally heard at the court having jurisdiction over the area where

1739-473: The request of the claimant in a number of ways, including requesting the court bailiffs to seize goods, the proceeds of any sale being used to pay the debt, or an Attachment of Earnings Order, where the defendant's employer is ordered to make deductions from the gross wages to pay the claimant. County Court judgments are recorded in the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and in the defendant's credit records held by credit reference agencies. This information

1786-427: The same boundaries as counties. The modern County Court in England and Wales was created by the County Courts Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. 95), which created a jurisdiction for small civil claims intended to be more coherent, and less cumbersome and costly, than the universal jurisdiction of the High Court or the remnants of local courts administering justice in civil matters. Whilst older local courts were, for

1833-470: The same model as those of England and Wales before unification in 2014. These are the main civil courts. While higher-value cases are heard in the High Court, the county courts hear a wide range of civil actions, consumer claims, and appeals from magistrates' courts. The county courts are called family care centres when hearing proceedings brought under the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and appeals from

1880-489: The term for this body in all but consolidated city-counties to county commission . Colloquially, the county commission is still frequently referred to as the "county court", particularly in rural areas. (The analogous body in consolidated city-counties is the metropolitan county council, usually shortened to "Metro council".) Likewise, five counties in Oregon are governed by a county court. In Florida 's four-tiered court system,

1927-422: The thresholds for each track have different values. Appeals are to a higher judge (a circuit judge hears district judge appeals), the High Court of Justice or to the Court of Appeal , as the case may be. In debt cases, the aim of a claimant taking County Court action against a defendant is to secure a County Court judgment . This is a legal order to pay the full amount of the debt. Judgments can be enforced at

List of County Court venues in England and Wales - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-454: The unofficial or official municipal borders, blurring the distinction between the types of government and their jurisdictions in the mind of the common inhabitant, but even television police drama's occasionally point out a county function (coroners, sheriffs, jails, courts, probation departments) different from a metropolis' police agencies, city governments, and district attorney's (prosecutors) offices (politically elected or appointed in most of

2021-402: The use of the court system – the actual cases will be heard in the County Court or the High Court depending on their value. For personal injury , defamation , and some landlord-tenant dispute cases the thresholds for each track have different values. Appeals are to a higher judge (a circuit judge hears appeals from a district judge). From the decision of a circuit judge an appeal lies to either

2068-487: The various states of the USA); in other cases, instead of being called "county court" they are called "district courts" or "circuit courts" with a hierarchy of state "superior court" districts up to that state's 'supreme court'. Multiple courts of typically limited original jurisdiction within a county are usually called "district courts" or, if located in and serving a particular municipality, "municipal courts"; and are subordinate to

2115-445: Was divided into administrative units called shires , with subdivisions. Shires were run by officials known as shire reeves or sheriffs. The chief business of the court was to hear civil pleas. There were numerous separate county court systems, each with jurisdiction across England and Wales for enforcement of its orders, but each with a defined "county court district" from which it took claims. County court districts did not always have

2162-466: Was renamed by section 74 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 ). Part-time judges ( recorders , deputy district judges and some retired judges) also sit in the county court. As at 1 April 2015, there are 640 circuit judges and 441 district judges. The system of 60 circuits was abolished in 1970. Over time, whilst new courts have been opened in various locations, there has been an overall reduction in

2209-548: Was retained in the court's title, such as the Aldershot and Farnham County Court). On 22 April 2014 the various county courts were merged into one single County Court for England and Wales, and since then the venues have been referred as, for example, "the County Court at Exeter" instead of "Exeter County Court" as previously. Until 1 January 1937, when the County Court Districts (Name of Court) Order 1936 came into force,

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