In an enactment the expression—

• F1“Assembly” means the Northern Ireland Assembly;

• “House of Commons”, when used without qualification F2 in any enactment passed or made before 1st January 1974, shall mean House of Commons of Northern Ireland;

• “Parliament”, when used without qualification F2 in any enactment passed or made before 1st January 1974, shall mean Parliament of Northern Ireland;

• “Senate” shall mean the Senate of Northern Ireland.

Where, under any enactment, a statutory instrument or statutory document is required to be laid before the Assembly, the delivery of a copy of the instrument or document to the Business Office of the Assembly on any day during the existence of an Assembly shall for all purposes be deemed to be the laying of it before the Assembly.

The expression “subject to affirmative resolution” when used in relation to any statutory instruments or statutory documents shall mean that those instruments or documents shall not come into operation unless and until affirmed by a resolution of F2the Assembly.

The expression “subject to negative resolution” when used in relation to any statutory instruments or statutory documents shall mean that those instruments or documents shall, as soon as may be after they are made, be laid before F2the Assembly, and if the Assembly, within the statutory period next after any such instrument or document has been so laid, resolves that the instrument or document shall be annulled, the instrument or document shall be void as from the date of the resolution, but without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder or to the making of a new instrument or document.

In an enactment the expression—

• “F6Court of Judicature” shall mean the F6Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland;

• “Court of Appeal” or “High Court of Appeal” shall mean Her Majesty's Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland;

• “High Court” shall mean Her Majesty's High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland;

• “Court of Criminal Appeal” shall mean the Court of Criminal Appeal in Northern Ireland F7...;

• “court of assize” shall mean a court of assize, a court of oyer and terminer and a court of gaol delivery or any of them and shall include a court held in and for the county of the City of Belfast by virtue of a commission of oyer and terminer or general gaol delivery;

• F8“Lands Tribunal” shall mean the Lands Tribunal for Northern Ireland;

• F9“Crown Court” shall mean Her Majesty's Crown Court in Northern Ireland;

• “county court” shall mean a county court held F43... under the County Courts F10(Northern Ireland) Order 1980M1;

• F11...

• F12“court of summary jurisdiction” or “magistrates' court” shall have the meaning assigned to it by Article 2(2) of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In an enactment the expression—

• “Lord Chief Justice” shall mean the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland;

• “Chancery Judge” shall mean the Judge of the High Court to whom the business and matters arising in the chancery jurisdiction of that court are for the time being assigned;

• “county court judge” shall include F11... a recorder F11...; and

• F9“Probate Judge” shall mean the Judge of the High Court to whom probate business and matters are for the time being assigned.

In an enactment the expression—

• “appeal summarily” shall mean appeal, in accordance F12with magistrates' courts rules, to a court of summary jurisdiction;

• Definition rep. by 1975 NI 7; 1978 c. 23

• “committed for trial” shall mean committed by a court, judge, resident magistrate, F13... F14... or other authority having power to commit a person in custody with a view to his trial, and shall include committed on bail upon a recognizance to appear and stand trial before a judge and jury;

• F15“standard scale” means the standard scale provided by Article 5 of the Fines and Penalties (Northern Ireland) Order 1984;

• “statutory maximum” means the prescribed sum within the meaning of Article 4 of the Fines and Penalties (Northern Ireland) Order 1984.

• “Summary Jurisdiction Acts” shall mean the statutory provisions for the time being in force in Northern Ireland in relation to summary jurisdiction;

• “summary conviction” shall mean conviction subject to and in accordance with the Summary Jurisdiction Acts.

In an enactment the expression “industrial tribunal” means a tribunal established under Article 3 of the Industrial Tribunals (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

In an enactment the expression—

• “Admiralty” shall mean the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom or the Commissioners for executing the office of the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom;

• “Bank of England” shall mean, as the circumstances require, the Governor and Company of the Bank of England or the Bank of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England;

• “Bank of Ireland” shall mean, as the circumstances require, the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland or the Bank of the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland;

• “Board of Trade” shall mean the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of matters relating to trade and foreign plantations;

• “British Islands” shall mean the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland;

• “consular officer” shall include consul-general, consul, vice-consul, consular agent, and any person authorised to discharge the duties of consul-general, consul, or vice-consul;

• “Governor” shall mean the Governor of Northern Ireland;

• “Lord Chancellor” shall mean the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain;

• “National Debt Commissioners” shall mean the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt;

• “Postmaster General” shall mean Her Majesty's Postmaster General;

• “Privy Council” shall mean, except when used with reference to Northern Ireland only, the Lords and others of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and when used with reference to Northern Ireland only, shall mean the Privy Council of Northern Ireland;

• “Secretary of State” shall mean one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State;

• “Treasury” shall mean the Lord High Treasurer or the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury;

• “United Kingdom” shall mean the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In an enactment the expression—

• “Attorney-General” shall mean the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland;

• “authorised analyst” shall include the government chemist and any public analyst;

• Definition rep. by 1976 NI 23

• Definition rep. by 2000 c. 32

• “Commissioner of Valuation” shall mean the officer F17appointed under Article 36 of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977M10 to be the Commissioner of Valuation for Northern Ireland;

• “consolidated fund” shall mean the consolidated fund of Northern Ireland;

• Definition rep. by 2000 c. 32

• Definition rep. by 1998 c. 32

• “exchequer” shall mean the exchequer of Northern Ireland;

• “government chemist” shall mean the officer appointed under section two of the Administrative Provisions Act (Northern Ireland), 1928M9, to be the government chemist for Northern Ireland;

• “Great Seal” shall mean the Great Seal of Northern Ireland and shall F18include a Wafer Great Seal where the use of that Seal has been authorised under section three of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1945M8F18 or section 49 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998;

• Definitions rep. by 1998 c. 32

• “Pharmacy Inspector” and “Pharmacy Registrar” shall mean respectively F19the Pharmacy Inspector appointed under Article 24(1), and the registrar appointed under Article 9(1), of the Pharmacy (Northern Ireland) Order 1976M11;

• F20“Poisons Inspector” means F21the Poisons Inspector appointed under Article 16 of the Poisons (Northern Ireland) Order 1976M6;

• “public analyst” shall mean a public analyst appointed underF22 Article 27(1) of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991;

• “Queen's Printer” shall mean the officer appointed to print Acts;

• F23“regional rate” means a rate made by the Department of Finance under the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977M7;

• “registered pharmacist” shall mean a person registered in the register of pharmaceutical chemists in pursuance of F19the Pharmacy (Northern Ireland) Order 1976;

• Definition rep. by 2000 c. 32

• “weights and measures inspector” shall mean F24a chief or other inspector of weights and measures within the meaning of the Weights and Measures (Northern Ireland) Order 1981M5.

In any enactment passed after the commencement of this Act “estate”, when used with reference to land, includes any legal or equitable estate or interest, easement, right, title, claim, demand, charge, lien or encumbrance in, over, to or in respect of the land.

In an enactment the expression—

• “commencement” when used with reference to any statutory provision shall mean the time at which that provision comes into operation;

• “contravention” shall include in relation to any statutory provision, a failure to comply with that provision;

• “Land Clauses Acts” shall mean the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845M14, the Lands Clauses Consolidation Acts Amendment Act, 1860M17, the Railways Act (Ireland), 1851M15, the Railways Act (Ireland), 1860M20, the Railways Act (Ireland), 1864M12, F33..., the Acquisition of Land (Assessment of Compensation) Act, 1919M21, section two of the Repeal of Unnecessary Laws Act (Northern Ireland), 1953M18, and every statutory provision for the time being in force amending those provisions or any of them;

• “ordnance map” shall mean a map made under the powers conferred by the Survey (Ireland) Acts, 1825 to 1870;

• “owner” in relation to any land shall include any person who under the Lands Clauses Acts would have power to sell and convey that land to the promoters of an undertaking;(12 & 13 Geo.5)(13 Geo.5)

• “Republic of Ireland” shall mean the territory which, in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act, 1922M13, and the Irish Free State Constitution Act, 1922M19 (Session 2), was required to be styled and known as the Irish Free State;

• F34“sewerage undertaker” shall be construed in accordance with Article 13 of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006;

• “signature” and “signed” shall include and apply to the making of a mark;

• “Valuation Acts” shall mean the F35statutory provisions relating to the valuation of rateable property in Northern Ireland;

• F36“water undertaker” shall be construed in accordance with Article 13 of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006;

• “will” shall include codicil;

• “writing”, “written” or any term of like import shall include words typewritten, printed, painted, engraved, lithographed, photographed or represented or reproduced by any mode of representing or reproducing words in a visible form.

In an enactment passed or made after the commencement of this Act the expression—

• “access” shall include ingress, egress and regress;

• “act” where used in reference to an offence or civil wrong shall include a series of acts, and words so used which refer to acts done shall extend to omissions;

• F37“arbitrator” has the same meaning as in Part I of the Arbitration Act 1996;

• “assets” shall include property or rights of any kind;

• “barrister-at-law” shall mean any person admitted or entitled to practise as a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland;

• F38“civil partnership” means a civil partnership which exists under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (and any reference to a civil partner shall be construed accordingly);

• “constitutional laws of Northern Ireland” shall mean F39... the statutory provisions F39... relating to or affecting the legislative powers of F35the Assembly;

• F40“costs” shall include fees, charges, disbursements, expenses or remuneration;

• “fault” shall mean wrongful act or default;

• “functions” shall include jurisdictions, powers and duties;

• “goods” shall mean all kinds of movable property including animals;

• “individual” shall mean a natural person and shall not include a corporation;

• “movable property” shall mean property of every description (including growing crops) except immovable property;

• “registry of deeds” shall mean the registry maintained in Northern Ireland under the Registration of Deeds Acts;

• F41“Registration of Deeds Acts” shall mean the Registration of Deeds Act (Northern Ireland) 1970M16 and every statutory provision for the time being in force amending that Act or otherwise relating to the registry of deeds, or to the registration of deeds, orders or other instruments or documents in such registry;

• “statute of limitation” shall mean any statutory provision in force in Northern Ireland prescribing a period within which any civil proceeding to which such provision relates is required to be brought, but shall not include a provision prescribing a period within which any criminal proceedings (including proceedings to recover any penalty imposed as a punishment for a criminal offence) is to be brought.

In any enactment passed or made after the day appointed for the commencement of Parts II and III of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the following expressions shall have the same meaning as in that Act—

• “The Belfast Agreement”;

• “cross-community support”;

• “excepted matter”;

• “Northern Ireland legislation”;

• “reserved matter”; and

• “transferred matter”.

In any enactment, whenever passed or made, any reference to a Minister of a Northern Ireland department shall, in the case of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, be construed as a reference to the First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly.