S.C.B.

Amendment Paper as at
Thursday 8th December 2005

STANDING COMMITTEE B

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New Amendments handed in are marked thus *

NORTHERN IRELAND (OFFENCES) BILL

NOTE

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the Committee [6th December]

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

177

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     18,     leave out susbection (1) and insert—

    '(1)   In this Act, "the Certification Commissioners" means an independent organisation established by an agreement between Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of Ireland to assist in the search for truth and justice in connection with the conflict in Ireland and the United Kingdom in the period before 10th April 1998.

    (1A)   The Secretary of State may by order amend the functions of the Certification Commissioners in this Act in order to facilitate the effective implementation of the agreement referred to in subsection (1).'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

178

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     18,     leave out susbection (1) and insert—

    '(1)   There are to be no less than three certification commissioners.'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

229

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     18,     leave out 'Secretary of State' and insert 'First and Deputy First Minister Acting jointly'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

179

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     18,     at end insert—

    '(1A)   In making appointments the Secretary of State shall have regard to the desirability of the certification commissioners, as a group, commanding widespread acceptance throughout the community in Northern Ireland.'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

230

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     18,     at end insert—

    '(1A)   No appointment may be made under subsection (1) above without the approval of the First and Deputy First Minister acting jointly.'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

231

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     18,     at end insert—

    '(1A)   Before making any appointment under subsection (1) above the Secretary of State must consult—

(a)	the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission,

(b)	the Victims Commissioner and

(c)	the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

198

Clause     2,     page     1,     line     19,     leave out 'commissioner' and insert 'commissioners'.

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Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

222

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     5,     leave out 'The' and insert 'A'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

223

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     19,     leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Commissioners'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

224

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     21,     leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Commissioners'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

225

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     26,     leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Commissioners'.

   

Mr Laurence Robertson
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Ben Wallace
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Mr Jeremy Hunt
Mark Durkan

154

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     28,     leave out 'is granted' and insert 'applies for'.

   

Mr Laurence Robertson
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Ben Wallace
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Mr Jeremy Hunt

155

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     28,     at end insert—

    '(1A)   The commissioner shall consult, and have regard to the views of, the Northern Ireland Victims Commissioner about arrangements to be made in fulfilling his duties under sub-paragraph (1).'.

   

Mr Laurence Robertson
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Ben Wallace
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Mr Jeremy Hunt

156

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     28,     at end insert—

    '(1A)   It is the duty of the commissioner to secure that appropriate arrangements are made—

(a)	to allow representations from victims about the case of each person who applies for a certificate of eligibility;

(b)	to have regard to the views of victims about the case of each person who applied for a certificate of eligibility;

(c)	to give the victims the reasons for his decision to grant or refuse a certificate of eligibility in every case.'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

237

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     33,     leave out 'a' and insert 'an unacceptable'.

   

Mr Laurence Robertson
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Ben Wallace
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Mr Jeremy Hunt

157

Schedule     1,     page     15,     line     33,     at end insert—

    '(4)   Before deciding whether to withhold any information on the grounds referred to in sub-paragraph (3) the commissioner must consult, and have the agreement of, the Northern Ireland Victims Commissioner.'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

226

Schedule     1,     page     16,     line     3,     leave out 'Commissioner' and insert 'Commissioners'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

227

Schedule     1,     page     16,     line     4,     leave out 'Commissioner's' and insert 'Commissioners''.

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Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

199

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     2,     leave out 'commissioner' and insert 'commissioners'.

   

Mr Laurence Robertson
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Ben Wallace
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Mr Jeremy Hunt
Lady Hermon

112

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     2,     leave out 'must' and insert 'may'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

200

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     3,     leave out 'commissioner' and insert 'commissioners'.

   

Lady Hermon

167

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     4,     leave out 'applicant' and insert 'application'.

   

Lady Hermon

249

*Clause     3,     page     2,     leave out line 4.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

201

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     5,     leave out 'commissioner' and insert 'commissioners'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

202

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     5,     leave out 'him' and insert 'them'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

181

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     6,     at end insert 'and

(c)	the application is received by the commissioner within six months of the entry into force of this section'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

203

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     7,     leave out 'commissioner' and insert 'commissioners'.

   

Lady Hermon

168

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     8,     leave out subsection (2) and insert—

    '(2)   An application may be made within a period of 12 months following the coming into force of this Act for a certificate of eligibility for offences to which this Act applies in respect of which the applicant has not been charged and acquited or has not been convicted and served the sentence imposed in respect thereof.'.

   

Lady Hermon

250

*Clause     3,     page     2,     line     8,     leave out subsection (2).

   

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Sammy Wilson

2

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     11,     leave out 'members of that' and insert 'the'.

   

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Sammy Wilson

46

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     11,     leave out 'have, and have' and insert 'has, and has'.

   

Mr Laurence Robertson
Mr Henry Bellingham
Mr Ben Wallace
Mr Tobias Ellwood
Mr Jeremy Hunt

113

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     11,     leave out ', and have had since before 1st November 2005,'.

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

232

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     11,     leave out '1st November 2005' and insert '10th April 2004'.

   

Lady Hermon

252

*Clause     3,     page     2,     leave out lines 11 to 13.

   

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Sammy Wilson

3

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     17,     at end insert 'and

(iii)

that the applicant has not been involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism since 10th April 1998.'.

   

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Sammy Wilson
Lady Hermon

4

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     18,     leave out paragraph (b).

   

Mark Durkan
Dr Alasdair McDonnell

182

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     19,     after 'it', insert 'and the applicant would have been convicted or acquitted but for the fact that he is believed by the commissioner to be outside the United Kingdom.'.

   

Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
Sammy Wilson
Lady Hermon

5

Clause     3,     page     2,     line     20,     leave out paragraph (c).

Prepared 8 Dec 2005