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Statutory Instruments

2000 No. 452

NORTHERN IRELAND

The Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 (Amnesty Period) Order 2000

Made

23rd February 2000

Coming into force

24th February 2000

Whereas a draft of this Order has been laid before Parliament in accordance with section 2(4) of the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997(1) (“the Act”) and approved by resolution of each House of Parliament:

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 2(2)(b) of the Act, the Secretary of State hereby makes the following Order:

1.  This Order may be cited as the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 (Amnesty Period) Order 2000 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

2.  The day hereby appointed for the purposes of section 2(2)(b) of the Act is 23rd May 2000, being not more than 12 months after the day on which this Order is made or more than five years after the day on which the Act was passed.

3.  The Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997 (Amnesty Period) Order 1999(2) is hereby revoked.

Adam Ingram

Minister of State

Northern Ireland Office

23rd February 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Under section 2(1) of the Northern Ireland Decommissioning Act 1997 (“the Act”) a decommissioning scheme must identify a period during which firearms, ammunition and explosives may be dealt with in accordance with the scheme (“the amnesty period”). Under subsection (2) of that section, the amnesty period must end before the first anniversary of the day on which the Act was passed or such later day as the Secretary of State may by order from time to time appoint. Under subsection (3) of that section, a day appointed by such an order must not be more than twelve months after the day on which the order is made or more than five years after the day on which the Act was passed. The Act was passed on 27th February 1997.

This Order appoints 23rd May 2000 as the day before which the amnesty period identified in a decommissioning scheme must end. The Order also revokes the second Order made under section 2(2) (S.I. 1999/454), which appointed 24th February 2000 for the purposes of section 2(2)(b).

(2)

S.I. 1999/454.