Prospective
[F1 Custody care ordersN.I.
44A—(1) Where a child who has not attained the age of 14 is found guilty by or before any court of an offence punishable, in the case of an adult, with imprisonment, other than an offence the sentence for which is (in the case of an adult) fixed by law as imprisonment for life, the court (subject to Article 32(1)) may make a custody care order.
(2) A custody care order is an order that the child shall be placed in secure accommodation by the appropriate authority and be subject to a period of being kept in secure accommodation by the appropriate authority followed by a period of supervision.
(3) A custody care order shall be for a period of six months unless the court specifies in the order a longer period not exceeding two years.
(4) A court shall not make a custody care order unless, after taking into account any matters which it is required to take into account by Article 37 of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (N.I. 24) (previous convictions etc.), it has formed the opinion under Articles 19 and 20 of that Order that a custodial sentence would be justified for the offence.
(5) Where a court makes a custody care order for a period longer than six months, it shall state in open court its reasons for doing so.
(6) Subject to paragraph (7), the period for which a child is to be kept in secure accommodation under a custody care order shall be one half of the period of the order; but the appropriate authority may, with the consent of the [F2Department of Justice], at any time discharge a child who is being so kept.
(7) The length of the period for which the child is to be kept in secure accommodation shall be treated as reduced by any period which is a relevant period within the meaning of section 26(2) and (2A) of the Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 (c. 29 (N.I.)) (reduction of sentence).
(8) Where a court makes a custody care order in the case of a child who will attain the age of 14 at a time during the period for which he is to be kept in secure accommodation under the order, the court may provide that he shall be detained in a juvenile justice centre for the whole or any part of the period following that time.
(9) Any reference in any statutory provision to the length of the period of a custody care order shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to the length of the period imposed by or under paragraph (3) and not the length of the period as reduced by paragraph (7).]
F1Arts. 44A-44G and preceding cross-heading inserted (prosp.) by Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 (c. 26), ss. 56, 87(1)
F2Words in art. 44A substituted by 2002 (c. 26), ss. 56, 87(1) (as amended (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 11, Sch. 13 para. 11(2) (with arts. 28-31)); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2) (but this amendment cannot take effect until the commencement of S.I. 1998/1504, art. 44A)