Direct committal: specified offences
11.—(1) Where—
(a)this Chapter applies in relation to an accused charged with an offence, and
(b)the offence is a specified offence,
the court shall forthwith commit the accused to the Crown Court for trial for the offence (and accordingly shall not conduct committal proceedings in relation to that offence).
(2) Where the court commits an accused for trial for an offence under this section, the functions of the court then cease in relation to that offence, except as provided by—
(a)section 13; or
(b)Article 29(2)(a) of the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 or any regulations under Article 26(3) of the Access to Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.
(3) For the purposes of this Chapter a specified offence is—
(a)murder;
(b)manslaughter;
(c)an offence—
(i)of aiding, abetting, counselling, procuring or inciting the commission of an offence specified above;
(ii)of conspiring to commit an offence so specified;
(iii)of attempting to commit an offence so specified;
(iv)under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 (encouraging or assisting crime) in relation to an offence specified above.
(4) The Department may by order amend subsection (3).