(1)The following persons must uphold the continued independence of the judiciary—
(a)the First Minister,
(b)the deputy First Minister,
(c)Northern Ireland Ministers, and
(d)all with responsibility for matters relating to the judiciary or otherwise to the administration of justice, where that responsibility is to be discharged only in or as regards Northern Ireland.
(2)The following particular duty is imposed for the purpose of upholding that independence.
(3)The First Minister, the deputy First Minister and Northern Ireland Ministers must not seek to influence particular judicial decisions through any special access to the judiciary.
(4)In this section “the judiciary” includes the judiciary of any of the following—
(a)the Supreme Court;
(b)any other court established under the law of any part of the United Kingdom;
(c)any international court.
(5)In subsection (4) “international court” means the International Court of Justice or any other court or tribunal which exercises jurisdiction, or performs functions of a judicial nature, in pursuance of—
(a)an agreement to which the United Kingdom or Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom is a party, or
(b)a resolution of the Security Council or General Assembly of the United Nations.]
Textual Amendments
F1S.1 substituted (8.5.2007) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 4(1), 148; S.I. 2007/1121, art. 2