PART 2

The Prison Ombudsman For Northern Ireland

Powers of Ombudsman

Powers of Ombudsman
43
1
For the purposes of an investigation under this Part the Ombudsman may at any time enter—
a
any prison;
b
any other premises occupied by the Department for the purposes of its functions under the Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953.
2
The Ombudsman may at any time enter any juvenile justice centre for the purposes of an investigation under section 39.
3
The Ombudsman may, for the purposes of an investigation under this Part, require—
a
that documents be produced in a form in which they can be taken away or be made available for inspection and copying,
b
that an explanation be given of any document produced or made available, or
c
that other information be provided.
4
A person who intentionally obstructs the Ombudsman in the carrying out of an investigation under this Part commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
5
In this section—
a
“document” includes anything in which information is stored in electronic or any other form; and,
b
in relation to anything containing information in electronic form, references to production or making available are to production or making available in a form in which the information is readily intelligible.