Section 64: Commencement
This section sets out when the various provisions of the Act come into operation (i.e. the law comes into effect). The structural provisions of the Act (things like the title of the Act, the power to make Orders etc.) and the provisions allowing for the establishment and appointment of the NIPSO come into operation on the day after the Act is made. The bulk of the Act then comes into operation on 1 April 2016. At this point, the NIPSO can exercise the main functions of receiving complaints, commencing investigations etc. The NIPSO’s remit over further and higher education bodies only comes into operation on 1 October 2016. Remit over grant-aided schools, only comes into operation on 1 April 2017. Part 3 dealing with complaints handling procedure, other than section 34, will be commenced by order to be made by the Assembly Commission. Finally, the power to investigate on his or her own initiative comes into operation on 1 April 2018.
