Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015

Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015

2015 CHAPTER 9

Commentary on Sections

Part 8: Violent Offences Prevention Orders

Violent offences prevention orders

Section 58: Qualifying offenders

This section sets out what is meant by the term ‘qualifying offender’ in relation to applications made by the Chief Constable for a VOPO.  A person can qualify if he or she has been: convicted of a specified offence or; found not guilty of a specified offence by reason of insanity or; found unfit to be tried and to have done the act charged in respect of a specified offence. This includes those offences or acts committed before, or after, commencement of this provision.

It also provides for offences committed outside Northern Ireland, in those cases where an act constituted a criminal offence in the country where it was committed and would have constituted a specified offence if it had have been committed in Northern Ireland.  It stipulates that an act punishable under the law of a country outside Northern Ireland constitutes an offence under that law; however it is described in that law.  This includes those offences or acts committed before, or after, commencement of this provision.

It sets out that in those cases where an application for a VOPO is made by the Chief Constable, an act committed in a foreign jurisdiction which is an offence under that law, will be taken to be an act that would have constituted a specified offence if committed in Northern Ireland, unless the person (to whom the application relates) serves notice on the Chief Constable applying for the order denying that this is the case.

The person must give reasons for this and require the Chief Constable to prove the condition is met.  It also allows the court to permit the person to require the Chief Constable to prove the condition is met, without having served such a notice.