The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

Made: 16th March 2026

The Department of Justice[^f00001] makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 90(2) of the Coronavirus Act 2020[^f00002].

Citation

1

This Order may be cited as the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026.

Extension of expiry date

2

Parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 27 to the Coronavirus Act 2020, and section 57 of that Act so far as it relates to those Parts, do not expire at the time when they would otherwise expire and expire instead on 24th September 2026.

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 16th March 2026

Naomi Long — Minister of Justice

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order extends the operation of the provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7) which allow the wider and extended use of video or audio live links by all or any courts or a statutory tribunal (Part 1 of Schedule 27). It extends the provisions, which facilitate public participation in legal proceedings if, and when live links are used while protecting those proceedings from unauthorised recordings or transmission (Part 2 of Schedule 27).

The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (SR.2025 No.151) extended the operation of these provisions until 24th March 2026.

Article 2 extends the operation of the provisions until 24th September 2026.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2010 c. 3 (N.I.), s. 1(1).

[^f00002]: 2020 c. 7.

Editorial notes

[^key-5aa799c42572dd48fccf78281cc69653]: Art. 1 in operation at made date

[^key-f2328248b865929b887a0cf793c9623b]: Art. 2 in operation at made date