Section 31B: Sittings

Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 · 1984 c. 42View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 4A: The Family Court

Sittings of the family court may be held, and any other business of the family court may be conducted, at any place in England and Wales.

Sittings of the family court at any place may be continuous or intermittent or occasional.

Sittings of the family court may be held simultaneously to take any number of different cases in the same place or different places, and the court may adjourn cases from place to place at any time.

The places at which the family court sits, and the days and times at which it sits in any place, are to be determined in accordance with directions given by the Lord Chancellor after consulting the Lord Chief Justice.

The Lord Chief Justice may nominate a judicial office holder (as defined in section 109(4) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005) to exercise functions of the Lord Chief Justice under this section.

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