The Criminal Justice (Children) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

Power of courts on committal of offender

48.—(1) Where a child would, if he were an adult, be liable to be committed to prison for any default, the court shall, in addition to any other powers exercisable by virtue of any other statutory provision (including a provision of this Order), have power to commit him to custody in a young offenders centre if he has attained the age of 16 and the court considers that no other method of dealing with him is suitable.

(2) The term for which a child may be committed to custody in a young offenders centre under this Article shall not exceed the maximum term for which he could (or could if he were an adult) have been committed to prison and shall not on any occasion exceed one month.

(3) This Article applies in relation to the fixing of a custodial sentence to be served in the event of default of payment of a fine or other sum of money as it applies in relation to committal to prison in default of such payment.

(4) Where a court commits a child to custody in a young offenders centre under this Article and at the time the warrant issued by the court for that committal falls to be executed the child is detained in any other place pursuant to the directions of the Secretary of State under Article 45, that committal shall have effect as if it were a committal to that other place in which he is detained.

(5) In this Article “default” means failure to pay, or want of sufficient distress to satisfy, any fine or other sum of money, or failure to do or abstain from doing anything required to be done or left undone.