1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Magistrates' Courts Fees (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 and, subject to paragraph (2), shall come into operation on 2nd December 2002.
(2) Articles 3 and 4 shall come into operation on 3rd March 2003.
2. In this Order “the principal Order” means the Magistrates' Courts Fees Order (Northern Ireland) 1996(1).
3. After Article 2(e) of the principal Order shall be added the following –
“(f)“credit card” means a card which –
(i)may be used on its own to pay for goods or services or to withdraw cash, and
(ii)enables the holder to make purchases and to draw cash up to a prearranged limit;
(g)“debit card” means a card which may be used as a means of payment under arrangements which do not provide for the extension of credit to the cardholder, but provide for amounts paid by means of the card to be debited to a specified account in his name (or in his name jointly with one or more others); and
(h)“payment instrument” means a cheque or payable order.”.
4. For paragraph (1) of Article 5 of the principal Order there shall be substituted the following new paragraph –
“(1) The fees prescribed in Schedule 1 shall be taken –
(a)in cash; or
(b)by credit card payment; or
(c)by debit card payment; or
(d)by payment instrument.”.
5. For Schedule 1 to the principal Order there shall be substituted the new Schedule 1 set out in the Schedule to this Order.
Irvine of Lairg, C.
Dated 29th October 2002
We concur
Jim Fitzpatrick
John Heppell
Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury
Dated 5th November 2002