Northern Ireland Bill - continued        House of Commons
SCHEDULE 11, DEVOLUTION ISSUES - continued

back to previous text
 
  PART V
  GENERAL
 
Proceedings in the House of Lords
     32. Any devolution issue which arises in judicial proceedings in the House of Lords shall be referred to the Judicial Committee unless the House considers it more appropriate, having regard to all the circumstances, that it should determine the issue.
 
 
Direct references to Judicial Committee
     33. The Attorney General for Northern Ireland, the Attorney General or the Lord Advocate may require any court or tribunal to refer to the Judicial Committee any devolution issue which has arisen in proceedings before it to which he is a party.
 
     34. The Attorney General for Northern Ireland, the Attorney General or the Lord Advocate may refer to the Judicial Committee any devolution issue which is not the subject of proceedings.
 
     35. - (1) This paragraph applies where a reference is made under paragraph 34 in relation to a devolution issue which relates to the proposed exercise of a function by a Northern Ireland Minister or department.
 
      (2) The person making the reference shall notify the Northern Ireland Minister or department of that fact.
 
      (3) No Northern Ireland Minister or department shall exercise the function in the manner proposed during the period beginning with the receipt of the notification under sub-paragraph (2) and ending with the reference being decided or otherwise disposed of.
 
      (4) Proceedings relating to any possible failure by a Northern Ireland Minister or department to comply with sub-paragraph (3) may be instituted by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland.
 
      (5) Sub-paragraph (4) is without prejudice to any power to institute proceedings exercisable apart from that sub-paragraph by any person.
 
 
Expenses
     36. - (1) A court or tribunal before which any proceedings take place may take account of any additional expense of the kind mentioned in sub-paragraph (3) in deciding any question as to costs or expenses.
 
      (2) In deciding any such question, the court or tribunal may award the whole or part of the additional expense as costs or expenses to the party who incurred it (whatever the decision on the devolution issue).
 
      (3) The additional expense is any additional expense which the court or tribunal considers that any party to the proceedings has incurred as a result of the participation of any person in pursuance of paragraph 6, 14 or 24.
 
 
Procedure of courts and tribunals
     37. Any power to make provision for regulating the procedure before any court or tribunal shall include power to make provision for the purposes of this Schedule including, in particular, provision-
 
 
    (a) for prescribing the stage in the proceedings at which a devolution issue is to be raised or referred;
 
    (b) for the staying or sisting of proceedings for the purpose of any proceedings under this Schedule; and
 
    (c) for determining the manner in which and the time within which any intimation or notice is to be given.
 
Interpretation
     38. Any duty or power conferred by this Schedule to refer a devolution issue to a court shall be construed as a duty or power to refer the issue to the court for decision.
 
 
previous section contents continue
 
House of Commons home page Houses of Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries

© Parliamentary copyright 1998
Prepared 28 July 1998