Chapter nine hundred twenty-five of the laws of nineteen hundred twenty, entitled “An act in relation to the civil practice in the courts of the state of New York,” and all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, constituting the civil practice act, as heretofore in effect, are hereby repealed.
§ 10001.Repeal of the civil practice act.
Article 100. Repeal; Saving Clauses; Effective Date · Last amended 1963 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 10001 repeals the 1920 Civil Practice Act, chapter 925 of the Laws of 1920, along with all of its amending and supplementing acts, clearing the way for the CPLR to take its place.
Full Text of CPLR 10001
Plain-English Summary
CPLR 10001 names its target with precision: chapter nine hundred twenty-five of the Laws of 1920, titled as an act relating to civil practice in New York's courts, together with every act that amended or supplemented it, collectively the Civil Practice Act 'as heretofore in effect.' The section repeals that entire body of law.
This is a transitional provision, not a rule anyone applies to a pending case today. It was part of the legislation, chapter 308 of the Laws of 1962, that brought the CPLR into being, and its job was to remove the prior general procedural code from the books so the CPLR could take over as New York's civil practice statute. Its practical work was finished once the CPLR's effective date, September 1, 1963, arrived under CPLR 10005.
CPLR 10001 is one of three enacting-and-transition provisions in Article 100. CPLR 10002 handles the companion body of court-adopted procedural rules, the Rules of Civil Practice, that the Civil Practice Act relied on, and CPLR 10003 addresses what happened to actions that were already pending when the old law gave way to the new.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Civil Practice Act that CPLR 10001 repealed?
It was New York's general procedural code enacted as chapter 925 of the Laws of 1920, along with all later acts amending or supplementing it, governing civil practice in New York's courts before the CPLR replaced it.
Is the Civil Practice Act still in force in New York?
No. CPLR 10001 repealed the Civil Practice Act and its amending and supplementing acts as part of bringing the CPLR into effect.
Does CPLR 10001 have any effect on cases being litigated today?
Its repeal took effect when the CPLR itself took effect, so it functions today mainly as a record of when and how the prior code's authority ended, not as a provision courts apply going forward.
Did the repeal in CPLR 10001 immediately unwind lawsuits that were pending under the old Civil Practice Act?
No. CPLR 10003 separately addresses pending and subsequent proceedings, preserving the effect of steps already taken under the former law.
What replaced the Civil Practice Act after CPLR 10001 repealed it?
The Civil Practice Law and Rules itself, enacted by the same 1962 legislation that included the repeal in CPLR 10001.
Advisory Committee Notes
This section is the analogue of CPA § 1577.
Amendment History
Add, L 1962, ch 308, § 1, eff Sept 1, 1963.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
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