The Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

Additional publicity for immediate report

14.—(1) This Article applies where under Article 11(1) a local government auditor has sent an immediate report to a local government body.

(2) From the time when the report is received by the body any member of the public may—

(a) inspect the report at all reasonable times without payment,

(b) make a copy of it, or of any part of it, and

(c) require the body to supply him with a copy of it, or of any part of it, on payment of a reasonable sum.

(3) On receiving the report under Article 11(1), the body shall immediately—

(a) publish a notice in at least two newspapers circulating in the district of the body; and

(b) supply a copy of the report to every member of the body.

(4) The notice published under paragraph (3) shall—

(a) identify the subject-matter of the report, and

(b) state that any member of the public may inspect the report and make a copy of it or any part of it between such times and at such place or places as are specified in the notice.

(5) The auditor may—

(a) notify any person he thinks fit of the fact that he has made the report, and

(b) supply a copy of it or of any part of it to any person he thinks fit.

(6) A person who has the custody of an immediate report and—

(a) obstructs a person in the exercise of a right conferred by paragraph (2)(a) or (b), or

(b) refuses to supply a copy of the report or of part of it (as the case may be) to a person entitled to the copy by virtue of paragraph (2)(c),

is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(7) A person who fails to comply with a requirement of paragraph (3) is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(8) Nothing in this Article affects the operation of Article 11(4) and (5).