Access to Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

Grant of right to representation by court

26.—(1) A court before which any relevant proceedings take place, or are to take place, has power to grant a right to representation in respect of those proceedings except in such circumstances as may be prescribed.

(2) Where a right to representation is granted for the purposes of relevant proceedings then, subject to paragraph (5)—

(a) it includes the right to representation for the purposes of any related bail proceedings, any related court-ordered youth conference, and any preliminary or incidental proceedings; and regulations may make provision specifying whether any proceedings are or are not to be regarded as preliminary or incidental; and

(b) it includes the right to such advice and assistance, as to any appeal, as may be prescribed.

(3) A court also has power to grant a right to representation for the purposes of relevant proceedings before another court in such circumstances as may be prescribed.

(4) A magistrates' court also has power to grant a right to representation for the purposes of a diversionary youth conference.

(5) A court has power to grant representation for a limited period, for the purposes of specified proceedings only or for the purposes of limited aspects of proceedings, and to vary or remove any limitation imposed on representation.

(6) Regulations may make provision—

(a) as to the form of any application for a grant of a right to representation under this Article;

(b) as to the information which must be supplied with any such application;

(c) as to the form of any grant of a right to representation under this Article;

(d) requiring the court granting a right to representation under this Article to indicate the grounds on which the right was granted.

(7) Before making any regulations under paragraph (6) the Lord Chancellor shall consult the Lord Chief Justice.

(8) The refusal of a right to representation before a hearing shall not prevent the applicant being granted a right to representation at the hearing.

(9) A right to representation in respect of proceedings may be withdrawn—

(a) by any court before which the proceedings take place, or

(b) in the case of a diversionary youth conference, by a magistrates' court;

and a court must consider whether to withdraw a right to representation in such circumstances as may be prescribed.

(10) In this Article “court” includes any body before which relevant proceedings take place.