Statutory Instruments
2024 No. 22
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Justification Decision (Scientific Age Imaging) Regulations 2024
Made
8th January 2024
Coming into force
9th January 2024
The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by regulation 4 of the Justification Decision Power (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019( 1 ) (“ the 2019 Regulations ”), makes these Regulations.
These Regulations are made in accordance with the requirements of Regulation 14 of the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004( 2 ) (“ the 2004 Regulations ”).
The Secretary of State has consulted the persons required to be consulted under regulation 18 of the 2004 Regulations( 3 ) and such other persons as the Secretary of State considered it appropriate to consult and has taken such steps as the Secretary of State considered appropriate to bring the proposed decision contained in these Regulations to the attention of any person likely to be affected by the decision.
A draft of these Regulations was laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament in accordance with regulation 5(3) of the 2019 Regulations.
Citation, commencement and extent
1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Justification Decision (Scientific Age Imaging) Regulations 2024 and come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.
(2) These Regulations extend to the United Kingdom.
Interpretation
2. In these Regulations—
“ the scientific age imaging practice ” means the class or type of practice which is the radiography of one or more of the third molar, the hand and the wrist of an age-disputed person;
“ age-disputed person ” has the meaning given by section 49(1) of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022( 4 ).
Justification decision
3. For the purposes of regulation 14(1) of the 2004 Regulations, subject to regulations 4 and 5 of these Regulations, the scientific age imaging practice is justified.
Condition
4. In accordance with regulation 11 of the 2004 Regulations, the justification decision is subject to the condition that results from the scientific age imaging practice may only be used to determine, using a likelihood ratio approach, whether there is more support for the age which the age-disputed person has been assessed to be following an appropriate, fair and reasonable age assessment, or for the age which the age-disputed person claims to be.
Computed tomography
5. The justification decision does not extend to the use of computed tomography for the purposes of assessing age.
Alex Chalk
Secretary of State for Justice
Ministry of Justice
8th January 2024
S.I. 2004/1769 . Regulation 14(1) was amended by S.I. 2019/215 .
Regulation 18 was amended by S.I. 2013/235 , S.I. 2013/1821 , S.I. 2014/469 , S.I. 2018/378 and S.I. 2018/430 .