http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2016/18/section/174Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016An Act to make new provision relating to persons who lack capacity; to make provision about the powers of criminal courts in respect of persons with disorder; to disapply Part 2 of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 in relation to persons aged 16 or over and make other amendments of that Order; to make provision in connection with the Convention on the International Protection of Adults signed at the Hague on 13th January 2000; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2022-07-25Expert Participation2022-04-01 Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016s. 174Coronavirus Act 2020Sch. 11 para. 15s. 88-90 Sch. 11 para. 2s. 87(2)Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016s. 285(2)(a)-(c)Adoption and Children Act (Northern Ireland) 2022Sch. 3 para. 77(b)s. 160(1) PART 10 CHAPTER 21741This section applies where—aa person is convicted before the Crown Court of an offence punishable with imprisonment, other than an offence for which the sentence is fixed by law; orba person is convicted by a court of summary jurisdiction of an offence punishable on summary conviction with imprisonment.2If—athe court, having considered the other available ways of dealing with the offender, decides to impose a custodial sentence (as defined by section 253) in respect of the offence, andbthe conditions in section 175 are met,the court may when it passes the custodial sentence direct that, instead of being removed to and detained in a prison, the offender is to be removed to and detained in a hospital specified in the direction.3A direction under this section given in relation to an offender has effect not only as regards the custodial sentence mentioned in subsection (2) but also (so far as applicable) as regards any other custodial sentence imposed on the same or a previous occasion.4Where the custodial sentence imposed by the court is not a sentence of imprisonment, any reference in this section to a “prison” is to a place in which the person would be liable to be detained under the sentence but for the direction under this section.5In this Part a “hospital direction” means a direction under this section.