74 Court for trial.N.I.
(1)A trial on indictment of a scheduled offence shall be held only at the Crown Court sitting in Belfast, unless [F1the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland directs that]—
(a)F2. . . the trial, or a class of trials within which it falls, shall be held at the Crown Court sitting elsewhere, or
(b)F3. . . the trial, or part of it, shall be held at the Crown Court sitting elsewhere.
[F4(1A)The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland may nominate any of the following to exercise his functions under subsection (1)—
(a)the holder of one of the offices listed in Schedule 1 to the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002;
(b)a Lord Justice of Appeal (as defined in section 88 of that Act).]
(2)A person committed for trial for a scheduled offence, or for two or more offences at least one of which is a scheduled offence, shall be committed—
(a)to the Crown Court sitting in Belfast, or
(b)where a direction has been given under subsection (1) which concerns the trial, to the Crown Court sitting at the place specified in the direction;
and section 48 of the M1Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978 (committal for trial on indictment) shall have effect accordingly.
(3)Where—
(a)a person is committed for trial to the Crown Court sitting in Belfast in accordance with subsection (2), and
(b)a direction is subsequently given under subsection (1), before the commencement of the trial, altering the place of trial,
the person shall be treated as having been committed for trial to the Crown Court sitting at the place specified in the direction.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 74(1) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15(1), Sch. 4 Pt. 1 para. 288(2)(a); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F2Words in s. 74(1)(a) repealed (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(1), 146, Sch. 4 Pt. 1 para. 288(2)(b), Sch. 18 Pt. 2; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F3Words in s. 74(1)(b) repealed (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 15(1), 146, Sch. 4 Pt. 1 para. 288(2)(c), Sch. 18 Pt. 2; S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F4S. 74(1A) inserted (3.4.2006) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), s. 15(1), Sch. 4 Pt. 1 para. 288(3); S.I. 2006/1014, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
Marginal Citations