PART IN.I.INTRODUCTORY
Title and commencementN.I.
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001.
(2) This Order shall come into operation on such day as the Secretary of State may by order appointF1.
(3) An order under paragraph (2) may make such transitional provision as appears to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient in connection with the provisions brought into operation by the order.
F1fully exercised by SR 2001/337
InterpretationN.I.
2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F2 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(2) In this Order—
“the appointed day” means the day on which this Order comes into operation;
“the Commissioners” means the [F3Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland];
“the release provisions” means the provisions of paragraphs (3) to (7) of Article 6;
“life prisoner” means a person serving one or more life sentences;
“life sentence” means either of the following imposed for an offence, whether committed before or after the appointed day, namely—
“prison” includes—
(a)a young offenders centre; and
(b)any other place in which a person may be detained under Article 45(1) of the Criminal Justice (Children) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
[F6(3) In this Order “protected information” means evidence or information the disclosure of which may, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, be against the interests of national security.]
F3Art. 2(2): words in the definition of "the Commissioners" substituted (15.5.2008) by Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1216 (N.I. 1)), arts. 1(4), 102(1), Sch. 5 para. 8; S.R. 2008/217, art. 2, Sch. paras. 16, 18(e) (subject to art. 3)
F4Art. 2(2): words in definition of "life sentence" substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(2), Sch. 5 para. 2(a) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)