Family Home Protection Act, 1976

Jurisdiction.

10.—(1) The jurisdiction conferred on a court by this Act may be exercised by the High Court.

(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), the Circuit Court shall concurrently with the High Court have all the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear and determine proceedings under this Act.

(3) Where either spouse is a person of unsound mind and there is a committee of the spouse's estate, the jurisdiction conferred by this Act may, subject to subsection (4), be exercised by the court that has appointed the committee.

(4) Where the rateable value of the land to which the proceedings relate exceeds £100 or the value of the personal property to which the proceedings relate exceeds £5,000 and the proceedings are brought in the Circuit Court, that Court shall, if a defendant so requires, transfer the proceedings to the High Court, but any order made or act done in the course of such proceedings before such transfer shall be valid unless discharged or varied by order of the High Court.

(5) The District Court shall, subject to subsection (3), have jurisdiction to deal with a question arising under section 9 where the value of the household chattels intended to be disposed of or removed or actually disposed of or removed, as the case may be, does not exceed £1,000.

(6) Proceedings under or referred to in this Act in which each spouse is a party (whether by joinder or otherwise) shall be conducted in a summary manner and shall be heard otherwise than in public.

(7) Proceedings in the High Court and in the Circuit Court under or referred to in this Act in which each spouse is a party (whether by joinder or otherwise) shall be heard in chambers.