Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014

Interpretation

126.—(1) In this Act—

“association” includes any body of persons, corporate or unincorporate;

“council” means a district council;

“councillor” means a member of a council;

“declaration” means declaration in writing;

“direction” means direction in writing;

“district” has the same meaning as in the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972;

“the Department” means the Department of the Environment;

“elected” includes appointed, nominated or otherwise selected or returned;

“external representative”, in relation to a council, has the meaning given by section 10(4);

“government department” means a Northern Ireland department or a department of the Government of the United Kingdom;

“joint committee” means a joint committee appointed under section 11(1);

“local elector” has the same meaning as in the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962;

“local government body” means a local government body within the meaning of Part 2 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 2005;

“notice” means notice in writing;

“owner” means the person for the time being receiving the rack rent of the land in connection with which the word is used, whether on that person’s own account or as agent or trustee for any other person, or who would so receive it if the land were let at a rack rent;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations;

“public body” means a body (other than a council) established by or under any statutory provision;

“qualified majority” has the meaning given by section 40;

“regulations”, except in sections 100, 124 and 127 means regulations made by the Department;

“statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954.

(2) In this Act—

(a) references to a district, council, chair or deputy chair include references to, respectively, a borough, borough council, mayor or deputy mayor;

(b) references to a councillor, except in relation to the nomination or election of councillors, include references to an alderman, and

(c) references to, or any references which are to be construed as references to, a borough, borough council, mayor or deputy mayor include references to, respectively, a city, city council, lord mayor or deputy lord mayor.

(3) References in this Act to the consent or approval of any authority are references to consent or approval in writing.

(4) For the purposes of this Act references to “publish” and “publication” are references to any communication, in whatever form, addressed to the public at large or to a section of the public.