{"data":{"id":"us-va/va.-code-16.1-69.5","jurisdiction":"us-va","citation":"Va. Code § 16.1-69.5","heading":"Meaning of certain terms","body":"Unless the context should otherwise require, the terms set out in this section shall be construed as follows:(a) \"Courts not of record\" shall mean all courts in the Commonwealth below the jurisdictional level of the circuit courts including general district courts and juvenile and domestic relations district courts;(b) \"General district courts\" shall mean all courts not of record, except juvenile and domestic relations district courts in counties and cities heretofore designated as county and municipal courts;(c) \"Juvenile and domestic relations district courts\" shall mean all courts in counties and cities heretofore designated as juvenile and domestic relations courts or regional juvenile and domestic relations courts;(d) \"District courts\" shall mean general district courts and juvenile and domestic relations district courts;(e) \"County courts\" and \"municipal courts\" shall be deemed to refer to general district courts;(f) \"Juvenile and domestic relations courts\" and \"regional juvenile and domestic relations courts\" shall be deemed to refer to juvenile and domestic relations district courts; and(g) \"Chief judge\" shall mean that judge so designated for a term to assume primary administrative responsibility for the general district courts or the juvenile and domestic relations district courts in the district served by such judge.1972, c. 708; 1973, c. 546; 1975, c. 334.","path":["Title 16.1. COURTS NOT OF RECORD","Chapter 4.1. DISTRICT COURTS","Article 1. TRANSITION PROVISIONS"],"source_url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/16.1-69.5/","current_through":"9/4/2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-04T15:14:24Z","sha256":"3ad5b04a8dab44eb31bca6cb8f720027ae47d09398ebcf4ddccb682390b07742","source_id":"us-va","stale":true,"prev":"us-va/va.-code-16.1-69.4","next":"us-va/va.-code-16.1-69.6"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}