The Disclosure of Victims' and Witnesses' Information (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2015 No. 330

Justice

The Disclosure of Victims' and Witnesses' Information (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Made

14th September 2015

Coming into operation

15th November 2015

The Department of Justice, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 36 of, and paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 3 to, the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015(1), makes the following Regulations.

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Disclosure of Victims' and Witnesses' Information (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and shall come into operation on 15th November 2015.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations "the Act" means the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.

Prescribed bodies

3.  Victim Support Northern Ireland is the body prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 3 to the Act.

4.  The following bodies are prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 3 to the Act—

(a) Victim Support Northern Ireland; and

(b) the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice 14th September 2015

David Ford

Minister of Justice

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 3 to the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 makes provision for a police officer or member of the police support staff to disclose relevant information, as set out in paragraph 1(2), relating to a victim to a prescribed body for the purposes of enabling that body to advise the victim about support services provided by the body, or to offer or provide support services to the victim.

Paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 makes a similar provision to that in paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 in relation to the disclosure of information relating to a witness for the prosecution by a member of staff of the Public Prosecution Service to a prescribed body.

Relevant information relating to a victim or a witness means their name and address, any telephone number or e-mail address at which they may be contacted and other appropriate information in order that they can be advised about, offered or provided services. Relevant information relating to a witness also includes their age.

These Regulations prescribe Victim Support Northern Ireland as a body for the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 2 and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children as a body for the purposes of paragraph 2.

(1)

2015 c.9 (N.I.).