Citation, commencement and interpretation

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Mutual Recognition of Driving Disqualifications (Great Britain and Ireland) Regulations 2008 and shall come into force on the date specified in Article 2(1) of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 (Commencement No 4) Order 2008( 2 ) .

(2) In these Regulations “the Act” means the Crime (International Cooperation) Act 2003.

Period served in Ireland

2. —(1) Subject to paragraph (2), for the purpose of calculating the unexpired period of foreign disqualification pursuant to section 57(2) of the Act, the period to be treated as having been served in Ireland—

(a) commences on the day the disqualification came into operation in Ireland, and

(b) ends on the day immediately before the beginning of the relevant period of disqualification specified in section 57(5)(a) of the Act.

(2) In determining the period to be treated as having been served in Ireland, any time during which the operation of the disqualification imposed in Ireland is suspended is to be disregarded.

Corresponding prescribed conditions

3. Where the disqualification in Ireland is effective until a driving test condition is satisfied the corresponding condition, for the purposes of section 57(4)(b) of the Act, is the passing of a prescribed test of competence to drive under section 89(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988( 3 ).