Part I Preliminary

Status of Northern Ireland

^F1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Devolution orders

^F2 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F3 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part II Legislative Powers and Executive Authorities

Legislative powers

^F4 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F5 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F6 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Executive authorities

^F7 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F8 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 Attorney General for Northern Ireland.

^F10 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F11 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F11 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F12,F13 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Relations with Republic of Ireland

^F14 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Financial provisions

^F15 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F16 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F17 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F18 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part III Prevention of Religious and Political Discrimination _cross-notes

^F19 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F20 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F21 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F22 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F23 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F24 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F25 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part IV The Northern Ireland Assembly

^F26 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F27 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F28 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F29 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F30 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F31 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F32 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Part V Miscellaneous and Supplementary

31

^F33 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F33 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F33 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F34 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F34 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F34 (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F35 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33 Preservation of pension rights of former members of Parliament of Northern Ireland and former Ministers.

^F36 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) ^M1 Save as aforesaid and without prejudice to any provision made under this Act, nothing in this Act affects any pension payable under the said Act of 1965 or section 1 of the Ministerial Offices Act (Northern Ireland) 1952 the right to which has accrued before the passing of this Act or accrues upon a person ceasing to be a member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland by reason of section 31 above.

34 Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.

^F37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35 Crown Solicitor for Northern Ireland.

(1) As from the appointed day there shall be a Crown Solicitor for Northern Ireland appointed by the [^F38 Advocate General for Northern Ireland after consultation with the Attorney General for Northern Ireland ^F38] .

[^F39 (1A) A person is not qualified for appointment as Crown Solicitor unless he is—

(a) a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland of at least ten years’standing; or

(b) a solicitor of the [^F40 Court of Judicature ^F40] of at least ten years’ standing. ^F39]

(2) The Crown Solicitor shall hold office on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the [^F41 Advocate General for Northern Ireland ^F41] .

[^F42 (3) The Crown Solicitor—

(a) must make his services available to any Minister or department of the Government of the United Kingdom; and

(b) may make his services available to any Northern Ireland Minister or Northern Ireland department or any other public body or holder of public office. ^F42]

(4) The remuneration of, and other expenses incurred in connection with, the Crown Solicitor shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament.

36 Provisions as to other Northern Ireland officers.

(1) Any appointment on or after the appointed day to the office of—

^F43 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F43 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland;

^F44 (d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

shall be made by Her Majesty.

^F45 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F45 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F45 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision with respect to the appointment of lord-lieutenants, lieutenants and deputy lieutenants in Northern Ireland, for conferring on them functions which apart from the Order would be exercisable by lieutenants in Northern Ireland, for altering the designation of vice-lieutenants in Northern Ireland and for matters incidental to or consequential on any provision so made, including the amendment or repeal of any enactment passed before this Act.

(6) An Order in Council under subsection (5) above may be varied or revoked by a subsequent Order.

37 Provisions as to Joint Exchequer Board and other financial matters.

^F46 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) ^M2 Any sums which, apart from this Act, would be payable into the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom by virtue of section 22(1) of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (reserved taxes) shall continue to be so paid; and, subject to subsection (3) below, any sums which, apart from this Act, would be payable into the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland by virtue of section 21(1) of that Act (transferred taxes) shall continue to be so paid.

(3) There shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom, as from such date as the Treasury may by order direct, the proceeds of any tax specified in the order which would otherwise be paid into the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland.

(4) The power to make orders under subsection (3) above includes power to vary or revoke a previous order and shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

^F47 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F48 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F49 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 Repeals. _cross-notes

(1) The enactments specified in Schedule 6 to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule—

(a) in the case of the enactments in Part I of that Schedule, as from the passing of this Act;

(b) in the case of those in Part II, as from the appointed day.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by section 39 above, an Order in Council under that section may repeal or revoke any existing statutory provision (as defined in section 40 above) which appears to Her Majesty to be unnecessary in consequence of, or inconsistent with, any provision of this Act.

42 Saving for existing laws. _cross-notes

(1) Except so far as otherwise provided by or under this Act, nothing in this Act shall affect the continued operation in or in relation to Northern Ireland of any law in force at the passing of this Act or on the appointed day.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, neither the abolition of the Parliament of Northern Ireland nor the repeal by this Act of any provision relating to that Parliament shall affect the validity or otherwise of any Act of that Parliament.

(3) ^M3,F50 Neither the abolition of the Parliament of Northern Ireland or of the office of Governor of Northern Ireland nor the repeal by this Act of any provision relating to that Parliament or office shall affect the operation of the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 or the validity of any Order in Council made under section 1(3) of that Act; . . .

43 Short title, interpretation and commencement. _cross-notes

(1) This Act may be cited as the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.

(2) In this Act—

• “ the appointed day ” means the day appointed under section 2 above for the commencement of Part II of this Act ;

• ^F51 . . .

• ^F51 . . .

• “ enactment ” includes an enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland;

• “ functions ” includes powers and duties;

• ^F51 . . .

• ^M4 “ Northern Ireland ” has the same meaning as for the purposes of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 ;

• “ Northern Ireland executive authorities ” has the meaning given in section 7(6) above;

• ^F51 . . .

• ^F51 . . .

^F52 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) Any reference in this Act to any enactment is a reference to that enactment as amended by, and includes a reference to that enactment as extended or applied by, any other enactment including this Act.

(5) Part I of this Act and, except where otherwise stated, Parts IV and V of this Act shall come into force at the passing of this Act.

(6) Part III of this Act shall come into force on a day specified in an order made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument, and different days may be specified under this subsection for different provisions of Part III.

SCHEDULES

Section 1.

^F53 SCHEDULE 1 Polls for Purposes of Section 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 2.

^F54 SCHEDULE 2 Excepted Matters

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sections 2 and 3.

^F58 SCHEDULE 3 Minimum Reserved Matters on Appointed Day

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 8.

^F64 SCHEDULE 4 Form of Oath or Affirmation under Section 8

I swear by Almighty God [ or affirm] that I will uphold the laws of Northern Ireland and conscientiously fulfil [as a member of the Northern Ireland Executive] my duties under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 in the interests of Northern Ireland and its people.

Section 40.

^F65 SCHEDULE 5 General Adaptation of References to Institutions and Offices Abolished by this Act

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 41.

SCHEDULE 6 Repeals _cross-notes