Article 24.
SCHEDULE 4N.I.MATTERS CONCERNING CHILD SUPPORT COMMISSIONERS
Proceedings before Child Support CommissionersN.I.
1.—(1) The Lord Chancellor may make such regulations with respect to proceedings before Child Support Commissioners as he considers appropriate.N.I.
(2) The regulations—
(a)may, in particular, make any provision of a kind mentioned in[F1 Schedule 4 to the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998]; and
(b)shall provide that any hearing before a Child Support Commissioner shall be in public except in so far as the Commissioner for special reasons directs otherwise.
[F2Determination of questions by other officersN.I.
1A.—(1) The Lord Chancellor may by regulations provide—N.I.
(a)for officers authorised by him to determine any question which is determinable by a Child Support Commissioner and which does not involve the determination of any appeal, application for leave to appeal or reference;
(b)for the procedure to be followed by any such officer in determining any such question;
(c)for the manner in which determinations of such questions by such officers may be called in question.
(2) A determination which would have the effect of preventing an appeal, application for leave to appeal or reference being determined by a Child Support Commissioner is not a determination of the appeal, application or reference for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1).]
[F3Tribunal of CommissionersN.I.
2.—(1) If it appears to the Chief Child Support Commissioner (or, in the case of his inability to act, to such other of the Child Support Commissioners as he may have nominated to act for the purpose) that—N.I.
(a)an application for leave under Article 25(6)(b); or
(b)an appeal,
falling to be heard by one of the Child Support Commissioners involves a question of law of special difficulty, he may direct that the application or appeal be dealt with, not by that Commissioner alone, but by a tribunal consisting of any 2 or more of the Child Support Commissioners.
(2) If the decision of such a tribunal is not unanimous, the decision of the majority shall be the decision of the tribunal; and the presiding Child Support Commissioner shall have a casting vote if the votes are equally divided.
(3) Where a direction is given under sub-paragraph (1)(a), Article 25(6)(b) shall have effect as if the reference to a Child Support Commissioner were a reference to such a tribunal as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (1).]
Finality of decisionsN.I.
3.—(1) Subject to Article 26 the decision of any Child Support Commissioner shall be final.N.I.
[F4(2) If and to the extent that regulations so provide, any finding of fact or other determination which is embodied in or necessary to a decision, or on which a decision is based, shall be conclusive for the purposes of any further decision.]
[F5Expenses of persons required to attend proceedingsN.I.
3A.—[F6(1) The Lord Chancellor may pay to any person who attends any proceedings before a Child Support Commissioner such travelling and other allowances as he may determine.]N.I.
(2) In sub-paragraph (1), references to travelling and other allowances include references to compensation for loss of remunerative time.
(3) No compensation for loss of remunerative time shall be paid to any person under this paragraph in respect of any time during which he is in receipt of other remuneration so paid.]
PensionsN.I.
4. The Lord Chancellor may pay, or make such payments towards the provision of, such pensions to or in respect of persons appointed as Child Support Commissioners as he may, with the consent of the Treasury, determine.N.I.