The Employment Rights (Dispute Resolution) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

21.  For Article 68(8) and (9) substitute—

(8) A person is a relevant independent adviser for the purposes of paragraph (7)(c)—

(a)if he is a qualified lawyer,

(b)if he is an officer, official, employee or member of an independent trade union who has been certified in writing by the trade union as competent to give advice and as authorised to do so on behalf of the trade union,

(c)if he works at an advice centre (whether as an employee or a volunteer) and has been certified in writing by the centre as competent to give advice and as authorised to do so on behalf of the centre, or

(d)if he is a person of a description specified in an order made by the Department.

(8A) But a person is not a relevant independent adviser for the purposes of paragraph (7)(c) in relation to the complainant—

(a)if he is, is employed by or is acting in the matter for the other party or for a person who is connected with the other party,

(b)in the case of a person within paragraph (8)(b) or (c), if the trade union or advice centre is the other party or a person who is connected with the other party,

(c)in the case of a person within paragraph (8)(c), if the complainant makes a payment for the advice received from him, or

(d)in the case of a person of a description specified in an order under paragraph (8)(d), if any condition specified in the order in relation to the giving of advice by persons of that description is not satisfied.

(8B) In paragraph (8)(a) “qualified lawyer” means a barrister (whether in practice as such or employed to give legal advice), or a solicitor who holds a practising certificate.

(8C) In paragraph (8)(b) “independent trade union” has the same meaning as in the Industrial Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1992.

(9) For the purposes of paragraph (8A) any two persons are to be treated as connected—

(a)if one is a company of which the other (directly or indirectly) has control, or

(b)if both are companies of which a third person (directly or indirectly) has control..