The Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

Newspaper reports of domestic proceedingsN.I.

90.[F1(1) A person to whom this paragraph applies shall not—

(a)print or publish, or cause or procure to be printed or published, in a newspaper or periodical, or

(b)include, or cause or procure to be included, in a programme included in a programme service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990) for reception in Northern Ireland,

any particulars of any domestic proceedings other than such particulars as are mentioned in paragraph (1A) below.

(1A) The particulars referred to in paragraph (1) above are—

(a)the names, addresses and occupations of the parties and witnesses;

(b)the grounds of the application, and a concise statement of the charges, defences and counter-charges in support of which evidence has been given;

(c)submissions on any point of law arising in the course of the proceedings, and decisions of the court on the submissions; and

(d)the decisions of the court, and any observations made by the court in giving its decision.

(1B) Paragraph (1) above applies—

(a)in relation to sub-paragraph (a) of that paragraph, to the proprietor, editor or publisher of the newspaper or periodical, and

(b)in relation to sub-paragraph (b) of that paragraph, to any body corporate which provides the service in which the programme is included and to any person having functions in relation to the programme corresponding to those of an editor of a newspaper.]

(2) If any person acts in contravention of the provisions of this Article he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four months or to a fine not exceeding[F2 level 3 on the standard scale], or to both.

(3) A prosecution for an offence under this Article shall not be instituted otherwise than by or with the consent of the Attorney General.

F3(4) For the purposes of Article 7(2) of the Prosecution of Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, paragraph (3) shall be deemed to be a relevant consent provision passed before 30th March 1972.

(5) Nothing in this Article shall apply to the printing or publishing of any matter in any newspaper or periodical of a technical character bona fide intended for circulation among members of the legal or medical profession.