The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

PART II DISCRIMINATION IN FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Restriction on proceedings for breach of Chapter II of Part III

4.—(1) Except as provided by Article 31, no civil or criminal proceedings may be brought against any person in respect of an act merely because the act is unlawful under Chapter II of Part III of this Order.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not prevent the making of an application for judicial review.

Period within which proceedings must be brought

5.—(1) A county court shall not consider a claim under Article 31 unless proceedings in respect of the claim are instituted before the end of the period of six months beginning when the act complained of was done.

(2) If, in relation to proceedings or prospective proceedings under Article 31, the dispute concerned is referred for conciliation in pursuance of arrangements under Article 42 before the end of the period of six months mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), the period allowed by that sub-paragraph shall be extended by two months.

(3) A court may consider any claim under Article 31 which is out of time if, in all the circumstances of the case, it considers that it is just and equitable to do so.

(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) if an unlawful act of discrimination is attributable to a term in a contract, that act is to be treated as extending throughout the duration of the contract;

(b) any act extending over a period shall be treated as done at the end of that period; and

(c) a deliberate omission shall be treated as done when the person in question decided upon it.

(5) In the absence of evidence establishing the contrary, a person shall be taken for the purposes of this paragraph to decide upon an omission—

(a) when he does an act inconsistent with doing the omitted act; or

(b) if he has done no such inconsistent act, when the period expires within which he might reasonably have been expected to do the omitted act if it was to be done.

Compensation for injury to feelings

6.  In any proceedings under Article 31, the amount of any damages awarded as compensation for injury to feelings shall not exceed the prescribed amount.

Evidence

7.—(1) In any proceedings under Article 31, a certificate signed by or on behalf of a Minister of the Crown or a Northern Ireland department and certifying that any conditions or requirements specified in the certificate—

(a) were imposed by that Minister or that department (as the case may be), and

(b) were in operation at a time or throughout a time so specified,

is conclusive evidence of the matters certified.

(2) A document purporting to be such a certificate is to be—

(a) received in evidence; and

(b) deemed to be such a certificate unless the contrary is proved.