Statutory Instruments
2005 No. 905
NORTHERN IRELAND
The Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Guidelines) Order 2005
Made
23rd March 2005
Laid before Parliament
24th March 2005
Coming into force
15th April 2005
Whereas—
(1) in pursuance of subsection (2)(a) of section 5 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998( 1 )(“the 1998 Act”) the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland (“the Commission”) is required to keep under review the guidelines (“guidelines”) issued under that section as to the exercise of its functions under sections 8 and 9A of the 1998 Act( 2 );
(2) in pursuance of subsection(2)(b) of that section the Commission may from time to time revise the whole or any part of the guidelines and issue the revised guidelines;
(3) in pursuance of paragraph 5 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act( 3 ), the Commission has prepared a draft of the revised guidelines, submitted the draft to the Secretary of State made such modifications to the draft as the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Commission, required;
(4) in pursuance of paragraph 7 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act, the Commission has sent the draft guidelines to the Secretary of State who has laid the draft before each House of Parliament:
Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by paragraph 8 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act, hereby makes the following Order:
Citation and commencement
1. This Order may be cited as the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Guidelines) Order 2005 and shall come into force on 15th April 2005.
Revised Guidelines
2. The revised guidelines laid in draft before Parliament on 24th March 2005 as to the exercise by the Commission of its functions under section 8 and 9A of the 1998 Act in respect of any public procession or protest meeting held, or proposed to be held, on or after 14th May 2005 shall come into operation on 15th April 2005.
Revocation
3.The Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Guidelines) Order 1999( 4 )(which brought into operation the draft guidelines laid before Parliament on 30th June 1999), is hereby revoked with effect from 14th May 2005.
Ian Pearson
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Northern Ireland Office
23rd March 2005
Section 9A of the 1998 Act (Commission’s powers to impose conditions on public protests) was inserted by Article 4(1) of the Public Processions (Amendment)(Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/857 (N.I. 2) ) (“2005 Order”).
Article 7 of the 2005 Order modifies the procedure in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act which the Parades Commission must follow for the first revision of the Code of Conduct, procedural rules and guidelines after the coming into operation of the 2005 Order to provide for a fast- track procedure in relation to this revision only.