Section 19: General jurisdiction of High Court.

Senior Courts Act 1981 · 1981 c. 54View on legislation.gov.uk

Part II: JURISDICTION — : The High Court

The High Court shall be a superior court of record.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, there shall be exercisable by the High Court—

all such jurisdiction (whether civil or criminal) as is conferred on it by this or any other Act; and
all such other jurisdiction (whether civil or criminal) as was exercisable by it immediately before the commencement of this Act (including jurisdiction conferred on a judge of the High Court by any statutory provision).

Any jurisdiction of the High Court shall be exercised only by a single judge of that court, except in so far as it is—

by or by virtue of rules of court or any other statutory provision required to be exercised by a divisional court; or
by rules of court made exercisable by a master, registrar or other officer of the court, or by any other person.

The specific mention elsewhere in this Act of any jurisdiction covered by subsection (2) shall not derogate from the generality of that subsection.

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.