(1)The Commission must send to the Department of Justice a copy of—
(a)each programme prepared by the Commission and approved by the Department of Justice,
(b)each set of proposals for reform formulated by the Commission pursuant to such a programme, and
(c)each annual report of the Commission.
(2)The Department of Justice must lay before the Northern Ireland Assembly a copy of each document received by it under subsection (1).
(3)The Commission must send to the Secretary of State a copy of—
(a)any programme prepared by the Commission and approved by the Department of Justice which includes—
(i)the examination of any branch of law relating (in whole or in part) to a reserved matter or an excepted matter, or
(ii)the consolidation or repeal of legislation relating (in whole or in part) to a reserved matter or an excepted matter,
(b)any set of proposals for reform formulated by the Commission pursuant to an approved programme which relate (in whole or in part) to a reserved matter or an excepted matter, and
(c)any annual report of the Commission which contains anything relevant to a reserved matter or an excepted matter.
(4)The Secretary of State must lay before each House of Parliament a copy of each document received by the Secretary of State under subsection (3).
(5)After a copy of a document has been—
(a)laid before the Assembly in accordance with subsection (2), and
(b)if so required by subsection (4), laid before Parliament in accordance with that subsection,
the Commission must arrange for the document to be published.
(6)In this section “reserved matter” and “excepted matter” have the meanings given by section 4 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
(7)Section 41(3) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies for the purposes of subsection (2) in relation to the laying of a copy of a document as it applies in relation to the laying of a statutory document under an enactment.]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 52 substituted (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), art. 1(2), Sch. 13 para. 10 (with arts. 28-31)