The Magistrates’ Courts (Violent Offences Prevention Orders) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2016

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Rules may be cited as the Magistrates’ Courts (Violent Offences Prevention Orders) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2016 and shall come into operation on 1st June 2016.

(2) In these Rules—

(a) “the Act” means the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 and a reference to a section by number means the section so numbered in the Act and expressions used have the same meaning as in the Act; and

(b) a reference to a Form by number means the Form so numbered in the Schedule to these Rules or a form to the like effect.

Violent offences prevention orders and interim violent offences prevention orders

2.—(1) A summons issued on foot of a complaint for—

(a) a violent offences prevention order under section 57 of the Act; or

(b) an interim violent offences prevention order under section 61 of the Act.

shall be in Form 1.

(2) If a defendant wishes to dispute that an offence referred to in the summons under paragraph (1) is a relevant offence he shall, not less than 3 days before the date of the hearing, serve notice under section 58(6) of the Act on the Chief Constable and, at the same time, he shall serve a copy on the clerk of petty sessions.

(3) A violent offences prevention order shall be in Form 2.

(4) An interim violent offences prevention order shall be in Form 3.

Application for variation, renewal or discharge

3.  A summons issued on foot of a complaint for—

(a) the variation, renewal or discharge of a violent offences prevention order under section 60 of the Act; or

(b) the variation or discharge of an interim violent offences prevention order under sections 60 and 61(7) of the Act;

shall be made in Form 4, and such proceedings shall be in a court of summary jurisdiction.

Service of documents

4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), service of a summons under these Rules may be effected—

(a) by a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland serving a copy of the summons on the defendant in person; or

(b) by sending a copy of the summons by ordinary post to the defendant at his last-known address (in which cases the summons shall be deemed to have been received by him in the ordinary course of post, unless the defendant proves that he did not receive it).

(2) In the case of a summons on foot of a complaint for the variation, renewal or discharge of an order specified in Rule 3 issued by the defendant mentioned in that order, service shall be effected in accordance with paragraphs (2), (6) and (7) of Rule 11 of the Magistrates’ Courts Rules (Northern Ireland) 1984(1) by delivering a copy of the summons to any police station within the petty sessions district in which the proceedings are brought and leaving a copy with the officer in charge or any other constable.

(3) Where the court makes a violent offences prevention order or an interim violent offences prevention order, the clerk of petty sessions shall serve a copy of that order on the defendant—

(a) where the defendant is present, in person if practicable; or

(b) by sending it by ordinary post to the defendant at his last-known address (in which case the order shall be deemed to have been received by him in the ordinary course of post unless the defendant proves that he did not receive it).

(4) Where the court makes an order varying, renewing or discharging an order specified in Rule 3, the clerk of petty sessions shall serve on the defendant a copy of the order as it has been varied, renewed or discharged—

(a) where the defendant is present, in person if practicable; or

(b) by sending it by ordinary post to the defendant at either his last known address or any address which is currently notified by him under Part 8 of the Act (in which cases the order shall be deemed to have been received by him in the ordinary course of post unless the defendant proves that he did not receive it).

(5) In paragraph (4), a reference to the defendant is a reference to the defendant in the proceedings in which the order was originally made.

William A McNally

Marc Little

Peter Luney

Eoghan McKenna

Cathy Hughes

Dated this 2nd day of March 2016.

In exercise of the powers conferred upon me in Article 13 of the Magistrates’ Court (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 and after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, I allow these Rules.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 2nd March 2016

David Ford

Minister of Justice