The County Court was created in 1846 by the County Courts Act (Archer, 1956); and so is a court created by statute, putting it in contrast to some other English courts which developed through the common law. The purpose of the county court was to deal with small claims, and to be affordable for the poor, so that justice might be available to all. The name is perhaps misleading, as County Courts are not divided by counting, but into 216 “circuits”. The County Court hears cases involving personal injury, negligence, money claims, etc, all of which are up to claims worth £50,000