Family Courts Act 2024
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Interpretation | ||
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2. (1) In this Act— | ||
“Act of 1924” means The Courts of Justice Act 1924 ; | ||
“Act of 1926” means the Court Officers Act 1926 ; | ||
“Act of 1936” means the Courts of Justice Act 1936 ; | ||
“Act of 1953” means the Courts of Justice Act 1953 ; | ||
“Act of 1961” means the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961 ; | ||
“Act of 1964” means the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 ; | ||
“Act of 1976” means the Family Home Protection Act 1976 ; | ||
“Act of 1987” means the Status of Children Act 1987 ; | ||
“Act of 1989” means the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1989 ; | ||
“Act of 1991” means the Child Care Act 1991 ; | ||
“Act of 1994” means the Maintenance Act 1994; | ||
“Act of 1995” means the Courts and Court Officers Act 1995 ; | ||
“Act of 1996” means the Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996 ; | ||
“Act of 2000” means the Protection of Children (Hague Convention) Act 2000 ; | ||
“Act of 2010” means the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 ; | ||
“Act of 2015” means the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 ; | ||
“Act of 2018” means the Domestic Violence Act 2018 ; | ||
“Act of 2024” means the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 ; | ||
“applicant” means a person seeking a remedy in family law proceedings; | ||
“civil partner” has the same meaning as it has in section 3 of the Act of 2010; | ||
“cohabitant” has the same meaning as it has in section 172 of the Act of 2010; | ||
“enactment” has the same meaning as it has in section 2 (1) of the Interpretation Act 2005 ; | ||
“Family Circuit Court” has the same meaning as it has in section 4(1A) (inserted by section 19 ) of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961 ; | ||
“Family District Court” has the same meaning as it has in section 5(1A) (inserted by section 36 ) of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961 ; | ||
“Family High Court” has the same meaning as it has in section 2(1A) (inserted by section 9 ) of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961 ; | ||
“family law proceedings” means proceedings before a court of competent jurisdiction under any of the following enactments and any proceedings arising from such proceedings: | ||
(a) the Legitimacy Act 1931 ; | ||
(b) section 8 of the Enforcement of Court Orders Act 1940 , in so far as that section relates to the enforcement of maintenance orders; | ||
(c) the Act of 1964; | ||
(d) the Act of 1976; | ||
(e) the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976 ; | ||
(f) the Family Law Act 1981 ; | ||
(g) the Act of 1987; | ||
(h) the Act of 1989; | ||
(i) the Child Abduction and Enforcement of Custody Orders Act 1991 ; | ||
(j) the Act of 1991; | ||
(k) the Act of 1994; | ||
(l) the Family Law Act 1995 ; | ||
(m) the Act of 1996; | ||
(n) the Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments Act 1998 , in so far as that Act relates to the enforcement of maintenance orders; | ||
(o) the Act of 2000; | ||
(p) the Civil Registration Act 2004 (other than Part 5B and section 56); | ||
(q) the Adoption Act 2010 ; | ||
(r) Regulation (EU) No. 606/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 20131 on mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters; | ||
(s) the Act of 2010; | ||
(t) the Regulations of 2011; | ||
(u) the Act of 2015; | ||
(v) the Gender Recognition Act 2015 ; | ||
(w) the Act of 2018; | ||
(x) the Regulations of 2019; | ||
(y) the Regulations of 2022; | ||
(z) the Act of 2024; | ||
(aa) any other enactment which may be prescribed under section 3 for the purposes of this definition; | ||
“Minister” means the Minister for Justice; | ||
“place” includes part of a place, a building or part of a building; | ||
“practising barrister” has the same meaning as it has in the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 ; | ||
“practising solicitor” has the same meaning as it has in the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 ; | ||
“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this Act; | ||
“Regulations of 2011” means the European Communities (Maintenance) Regulations 2011 ( S.I. No. 274 of 2011 ); | ||
“Regulations of 2019” means the European Union (Hague Maintenance Convention) Regulations 2019 ( S.I. No. 594 of 2019 ); | ||
“Regulations of 2022” means the European Communities (Decisions in Matrimonial Matters and in Matters of Parental Responsibility and International Child Abduction) Regulations 2022 ( S.I. No. 400 of 2022 ); | ||
“respondent” means a person against whom a remedy is sought by an applicant in family law proceedings. | ||
(2) A reference in an enactment to— | ||
(a) a “plaintiff”, “claimant” or “petitioner” shall, for the purposes of this Act, be taken to be a reference to an applicant, and | ||
(b) a “defendant” shall, for the purposes of this Act, be taken to be a reference to a respondent. | ||