The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

PART I DISCRIMINATION IN SCHOOLS

Restriction on proceedings for breach of Chapter I of Part III

1.—(1) Except as provided by Articles 22 and 24, no civil or criminal proceedings may be brought against any person in respect of an act merely because the act is unlawful under Chapter I of Part III of this Order.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not prevent—

(a) the making of an application for judicial review;

(b) the bringing of proceedings in respect of an offence under Article 23(7).

Period within which proceedings must be brought

2.—(1) The Tribunal shall not consider a claim under Article 22 unless proceedings in respect of the claim are instituted before the end of the period of six months beginning when the act complained of was done.

(2) If, in relation to proceedings or prospective proceedings under Article 22, the dispute concerned is referred for conciliation in pursuance of arrangements under Article 42 before the end of the period of six months mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), the period allowed by that sub-paragraph shall be extended by two months.

(3) The Tribunal may consider any claim under Article 22 which is out of time if, in all the circumstances of the case, it considers that it is just and equitable to do so.

(4) But sub-paragraph (3) does not permit the Tribunal to decide to consider a claim if a decision not to consider that claim has previously been taken under that sub-paragraph.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) if an unlawful act of discrimination is attributable to a term in a contract, that act is to be treated as extending throughout the duration of the contract;

(b) any act extending over a period shall be treated as done at the end of that period; and

(c) a deliberate omission shall be treated as done when the person in question decided upon it.

(6) In the absence of evidence establishing the contrary, a person shall be taken for the purposes of this paragraph to decide upon an omission—

(a) when he does an act inconsistent with doing the omitted act; or

(b) if he has done no such inconsistent act, when the period expires within which he might reasonably have been expected to do the omitted act if it was to be done.

Evidence

3.—(1) In any proceedings under Article 22 or 24, a certificate signed by or on behalf of a Minister of the Crown or a Northern Ireland department and certifying that any conditions or requirements specified in the certificate—

(a) were imposed by that Minister or that department (as the case may be), and

(b) were in operation at a time or throughout a time so specified,

shall be conclusive evidence of the matters certified.

(2) A document purporting to be such a certificate shall be received in evidence and, unless the contrary is proved, be deemed to be such a certificate.