The Justice (2011 Act) (Commencement No. 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into operation certain provisions of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (c.24) (“the Act”).

The provisions of the Act set out in Article 2 come into operation on 1st April 2012.

Part 3 and Schedules 1 and 2 create new Policing and Community Safety Partnership structures. The provisions integrate the roles of Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and District Policing Partnerships (DPPs) to create single partnerships for each district council that will be known as Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs).

Sections 20 to 22 provide for the establishment of and describe the functions of PCSPs and District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (DPCSPs). Section 23 sets out the arrangements for the creation and content of a code of practice for PCSPs and DPCSPs. Sections 24 to 32 provide for various reports to be made by PCSPs and DPCSPs to councils and the joint committee, and by policing committees to the Policing Board and the timescales within which these reports must be submitted. Section 33 allows policing committees to make arrangements to facilitate consultation by the police with any local community within the relevant district and section 34 sets out the functions of the joint committee and the Policing Board in assessing the level of public satisfaction with the performance of PCSPs and DPCSPs and assessing the effectiveness of PCSPs and DPCSPs in performing their functions.

Schedule 1 sets out in more detail how a PCSP under Part 3 is to be established for each council district and the arrangements for its proceedings and Schedule 2 sets out in more detail how a DPCSP under Part 3 is to be established for each police district of Belfast and the arrangements for its proceedings.

Section 81 is an enabling power to allow for rules to be made to allow courts to make recovery of defence costs orders against legally aided defendants who are convicted if the court considers that the defendant has sufficient funds to pay all, or a proportion of, the costs of his defence. The rules, when made, will include the detail of how these orders will operate in practice.