Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004

Duty of Court Service to ensure court security

1 (1) The Court Service must take all reasonable steps to ensure the security of every relevant building and the safety of everyone who is there.

(2) To comply with that duty the Court Service must secure that there are provided at every relevant building an appropriate number of court security officers.

(3) For the purposes of this Schedule the following are court security officers—

(a) members of staff of the Court Service designated by the Lord Chancellor as court security officers, and

(b) persons employed as court security officers in pursuance of arrangements made with their employers by the Court Service under section 69 of the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 (c. 23).

(4) The Lord Chancellor may by regulations make provision as to—

(a) training courses to be completed by court security officers,

(b) conditions to be met before a person may be designated or employed as a court security officer.

(5) For the purposes of this Schedule a court security officer who is not readily identifiable as such (whether by means of his uniform or badge or otherwise) is not to be regarded as acting in the execution of his duty.

(6) Subject to sub-paragraphs (7) and (8), in this Schedule “relevant building” means any building where—

(a) the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Crown Court, a county court, a coroner’s court or a magistrates' court sits,

(b) a Commissioner within the meaning of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8) sits,

(c) a Child Support Commissioner within the meaning of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/2628 (N.I. 23)) sits,

(d) the Master (Taxing Office) exercises any functions conferred by or under an enactment, or

(e) the Master (Enforcement of Judgements) exercises any functions so conferred.

(7) Where only part of a building is used for the sittings of an office-holder mentioned in sub-paragraph (6)(b) or (c), references to a relevant building are to so much of that building as is used for the purposes of, or in connection with, such sittings.

(8) Where only part of a building is used for the exercise by an office-holder mentioned in sub-paragraph (6)(d) or (e) of the functions there mentioned, references to a relevant building are to so much of that building as is used for the purposes of, or in connection with, the exercise of those functions.