(1)The Commission may revise a code issued under section 14; and a reference in this section or in that section to the issue of a code shall be treated as including a reference to the revision of a code.
(2)The 40 day period specified in section 14(8)—
(a)shall begin with the date on which the draft is laid before both Houses (or, if laid before each House on a different date, with the later date), and
(b)shall be taken not to include a period during which—
(i)Parliament is prorogued or dissolved, or
(ii)both Houses are adjourned for more than four days.
(3)A code issued under section 14 may be revoked by the [F1Secretary of State], at the request of the Commission, by order.
(4)A failure to comply with a provision of a code shall not of itself make a person liable to criminal or civil proceedings; but a code—
(a)shall be admissible in evidence in criminal or civil proceedings, and
(b)shall be taken into account by a court or tribunal in any case in which it appears to the court or tribunal to be relevant.
(5)Subsection (4)(b) does not apply in relation to a code issued under section 14(4).
(6)The [F2Secretary of State] may by order amend section 14 so as to vary the range of matters that codes of practice under that section may address.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 15(3) substituted (18.8.2010) by Transfer of Functions (Equality) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1839), art. 1(2), Sch. para. 7(2)(e)
F2Words in s. 15(6) substituted (18.8.2010) by Transfer of Functions (Equality) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1839), art. 1(2), Sch. para. 7(2)(e)