The Legal Aid and Coroners’ Courts (2014 Act) (Commencement No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015

Made: 19th October 2015

The Department of Justice, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 12(1) of the Legal Aid and Coroners’ Court Act (Northern Ireland) 2014[^f00001], makes the following Order:

Citation and Interpretation

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Legal Aid and Coroners’ Courts (2014 Act) (CommencementNo.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015.

• (2) In this Order, “the 2014 Act” means the Legal Aid and Coroners’ Courts Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

Appointed Day

2

The day appointed for the coming into operation of the following provisions of the 2014 Act is 1st November 2015—

• (a) Section 7 (Lord Chief Justice to be president of the coroners’ courts);

• (b) Section 8 (Presiding coroner);

• (c) Section 11 (Repeals), in so far as it relates to Schedule 3, Part 2; and

• (d) Schedule 3, Part 2 (Coroners’ courts).

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 19th October 2015

David Ford — Minister of Justice

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order brings into operation certain provisions of the Legal Aid and Coroners’ Courts Act (Northern Ireland) 2014(“the 2014 Act”).

The provisions set out in sections 7 and 8, Part 2 of Schedule 3 and section 11, in so far as it relates to that Part of the Schedule, of the 2014 Act come into operation on 1 November 2015.

Section 7 amends section 12(1D) of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 to provide that the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland be the President of the coroners’ courts.

Section 8 requires the Lord Chief Justice to appoint a Presiding coroner with responsibility for the coroners’ courts and the other coroners and deputy coroners. The person appointed as Presiding coroner will hold that office in accordance with the terms of his or her appointment. If the office of Presiding coroner becomes vacant, the Lord Chief Justice may appoint another coroner to act as Presiding coroner until a new appointment can be made. Any of the Lord Chief Justice’s functions relating to coroners’ courts, other than functions under section 36 of the Coroners Act (Northern Ireland) 1959, may be delegated to the Presiding coroner.

Section 11 introduces Schedule 3. Part 2 of Schedule 3 makes consequential repeals to the Coroners Act (Northern Ireland) 1959.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2014 c.11 (N.I.)