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Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004
"Legislation will be brought forward to establish a Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission."
The Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill will introduce a Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission.
This follows the appointment of John Simpson as Commissioner for Judicial Appointments for Northern Ireland in December 2001. The role is part time and independent of both the judicial system and the government.
The role of the commissioner is to "oversee and monitor the fairness of all aspects of the existing appointments system until such time as it is possible to establish a Judicial Appointments Commission."
A Judicial Appointments Commission was one of the principal recommendations of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Review set up under the Belfast Agreement.
The Bill will also make provision for other commitments, including the requirement that the director of public prosecutions, if considering a matter that a police officer may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner which would justify disciplinary proceedings, to refer the case to the Police Ombudsman.
The Bill will also create an offence of seeking to influence the DPP's prosecution decisions without legitimate cause.
In addition, it will require the criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland to have due regard to relevant international human rights conventions and standards in carrying out their functions.
Progress
House of Lords
First reading: December 4 2003 (HL Bill 9)
Second reading: December 16 2003
Committee stage
The Bill as amended in committee: (HL Bill 19)
Report: February 3 2004
Third reading: February 10 2004
House of Commons
First reading: February 11 2004 (HC Bill 55)
Second reading: March 10 2004
Standing Committee D: (until April 1 2004)
Bill as amended in committee (HC Bill 88)
Remaining stages: April 26 2004
House of Lords
Consideration of Commons amendments: April 29 2004
Royal assent: May 13 2004
Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004
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