Part 1

The Judiciary

General

Guarantee of continued judicial independence
1
1
The following persons must uphold the continued independence of the judiciary—
a
the First Minister,
b
the deputy First Minister,
c
Northern Ireland Ministers, and
d
all with responsibility for matters relating to the judiciary or otherwise to the administration of justice, where that responsibility is to be discharged only in or as regards Northern Ireland.
2
The following particular duty is imposed for the purpose of upholding that independence.
3
The First Minister, the deputy First Minister and Northern Ireland Ministers must not seek to influence particular judicial decisions through any special access to the judiciary.
4
In this section “
the judiciary
” includes the judiciary of any of the following—
a
the Supreme Court;
b
any other court established under the law of any part of the United Kingdom;
c
any international court.
5
In subsection (4) “
international court
” means the International Court of Justice or any other court or tribunal which exercises jurisdiction, or performs functions of a judicial nature, in pursuance of—
a
an agreement to which the United Kingdom or Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom is a party, or
b
a resolution of the Security Council or General Assembly of the United Nations.
S.1 substituted (8.5.2007) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 4(1), 148; S.I. 2007/1121, art. 2