(1) The jurisdiction of the justice court shall be coextensive with its county, and any process may be issued in matters within its jurisdiction, to be executed in any part of the county. Every defendant may be sued only in the county in which he resides or where the cause of action arose and if a defendant does not reside in the State of Mississippi or has no fixed place of residence, he shall be sued in the county where the cause of action arose. Whenever by reason of interest, relationship to one of the parties, or other like cause, any justice court judge shall be disqualified to preside in any case before him, the same shall be transferred to a justice court judge in the county, free from such objection, who shall hear and determine the same. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as authorizing or empowering the clerk of the justice court or any justice court judge to perform any official act outside of the territorial boundaries of their county.
(2) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any cause of action commenced before January 1, 1984; and any such action shall be concluded in accordance with state law as it was constituted before that date.