Northern Ireland Act Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 1999

PART I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Citation and commencement

1.  These Rules may be cited as the Northern Ireland Act Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 1999 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which they are made.

Interpretation

2.  In these Rules–

“the 1998 Act” means the Northern Ireland Act 1998;

“certificate” means a certificate referred to in section 90 of the 1998 Act, Article 80 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998(1), Article 53ZA of the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976(2) or Article 41A of the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997(3);

“special advocate” means a person appointed under section 91(7) of the 1998 Act to represent the interests of a party to proceedings before the Tribunal;

“the Tribunal” means the tribunal established under section 91 of the 1998 Act.

General duty of the Tribunal

3.—(1) When exercising its functions, the Tribunal shall secure that information is not disclosed contrary to the interests of national security, public safety or public order or in any other circumstances where disclosure is likely to harm a public interest.

(2) References in these Rules to disclosure contrary to the public interest shall be construed in accordance with paragraph (1).

(3) The Tribunal shall satisfy itself that the material available to it enables it properly to review decisions.

Delegated powers

4.—(1) The powers of the Tribunal under the following provisions may be exercised by the chairman or by any other member of the Tribunal–

(a) rule 13(1) and (3) (amendment and supplementary grounds);

(b) rule 14 (directions);

(c) rule 24 (application for leave to appeal).

(2) Where the chairman or member exercises any power of the Tribunal, references to the Tribunal in the Rules shall as appropriate be construed as references to him.

Notices, etc.

5.—(1) Any document or notice required or authorised by these Rules to be sent or given to the Tribunal, shall be sent or given to the clerk to the Tribunal.

(2) The appellant may by notice to the Tribunal change his address for service under these Rules.

(1)

S.I. 1998/3162 (N.I. 21).

(2)

S.I. 1976/1042 (N.I. 15), to which the relevant amendment is in Article 96 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998.

(3)

S.I. 1997/869 (N.I. 6), to which the relevant amendment is in Article 98 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998.