The Divorce and Dissolution etc. (Pension Protection Fund) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Divorce and Dissolution etc (Pension Protection Fund) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and shall come into operation on 25th July 2011.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

(a) the “1978 Order” means the Matrimonial Causes (Northern Ireland) Order 1978;

(b) the “1989 Order” means the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (Northern Ireland) Order 1989;

(c) the “2004 Act” means the Civil Partnership Act 2004;

(d) “the other party” means the party to the marriage or the civil partnership (as the case may be) who is not the party with compensation rights or civil partner with compensation rights.

(2) Unless these Regulations provide otherwise, expressions defined in—

(a) Articles 23B, 23C and 27G(4) of the 1978 Order(1) have the meanings assigned by those Articles; and

(b) paragraphs 14B, 14F and 32(1) of Schedule 15 to the 2004 Act(2) have the meanings assigned by those paragraphs.

Attachment of PPF compensation: change in circumstances

3.—(1) In this regulation, a relevant order means—

(a) an order under Article 25 of the 1978 Order or under Article 21 of the 1989 Order(3) making provision under Article 27F of the 1978 Order(4); or

(b) an order under Part 1 of Schedule 15 or under paragraph 9 of Schedule 17 to the 2004 Act(5) making provision under Part 6, paragraph 29A of Schedule 15 to that Act(6),

imposing any requirement on the Board.

(2) In this regulation, a relevant event occurs when—

(a) the information or particulars referred to in paragraph (3) cease to be accurate; or

(b) a relevant order ceases to have effect—

(i) in the case of a relevant order within paragraph (1)(a), by reason of the other party remarrying or entering into a civil partnership or otherwise; and

(ii) in the case of a relevant order within paragraph (1)(b), by reason of the other party marrying or entering into a subsequent civil partnership or otherwise.

(3) The information or particulars referred to in paragraph (2)(a) are those supplied by the other party under rule 2.73B(7) of the Family Proceedings Rules (Northern Ireland) 1996(7) for the purpose of enabling the Board—

(a) to provide information, documents or representations to the court to enable it to decide what if any requirement should be imposed on the Board; or

(b) to comply with any relevant order imposing such a requirement.

(4) Where—

(a) a relevant order has been made; and

(b) a relevant event occurs,

the other party must, within 14 days of the relevant event, give notice of it to the Board.

(5) Where it is not reasonably practicable for the Board to make a payment to the other party as required by the relevant order because of the inaccuracy of information or particulars referred to in paragraph (3) or because the other party fails to notify it in accordance with paragraph (4) of a relevant event within paragraph (2)(a), the Board—

(a) may instead make that payment to the party with compensation rights or the civil partner with compensation rights; and

(b) shall then be discharged of liability to the other party to the extent of that payment.

(6) Where a relevant event within paragraph (2)(b) occurs and, because the other party fails to notify the Board in accordance with paragraph (4), the Board makes a payment to the other party as required by the relevant order—

(a) the liability of the Board to the party with compensation rights or civil partner with compensation rights shall be discharged to the extent of that payment; and

(b) the other party shall, within 14 days of the payment being made, make a payment to the party with compensation rights or civil partner with compensation rights to the extent of that payment.

Service

4.  A notice under regulation 3(4) may be sent by fax or by ordinary first class post to the last known address of the intended recipient and shall be deemed to have been received on the seventh day after the day on which it was sent.

Pension compensation sharing order not to take effect pending appeal

5.—(1) No pension compensation sharing order under the provisions listed in paragraph (2), or a variation of a pension compensation sharing order under the provisions listed in paragraph (3), shall take effect earlier than 7 days after the end of the period for filing notice of appeal against the order.

(2) The provisions referred to in paragraph (1) in relation to pension compensation sharing orders are—

(a) Article 26A of the 1978 Order(8);

(b) Article 21(1)(c) of the 1989 Order(9);

(c) paragraph 14A of Schedule 15 to the 2004 Act(10);

(d) paragraph 9(2) of Schedule 17 to the 2004 Act.

(3) The provisions referred to in paragraph (1) in relation to variation of pension compensation sharing orders are—

(a) Article 33 of the 1978 Order(11);

(b) paragraph 50 of Schedule 15 to the 2004 Act(12).

(4) The filing of a notice of appeal within the time allowed for doing so prevents the order taking effect before the appeal has been dealt with.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 27th June 2011

David Ford

Minister of Justice