Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2007 No. 99

EVIDENCE

The Blood Tests (Evidence of Paternity) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Made

20th February 2007

Coming into operation

16th March 2007

To be laid before Parliament

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 10 of the Family Law Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1977(1) and now vested in him(2), makes the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Blood Tests (Evidence of Paternity) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 and shall come into operation on the 16th March 2007.

2. In these Regulations “the principal Regulations” means the Blood Tests (Evidence of Paternity) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1978(3).

3. These Regulations apply only to samples taken on or after the 16th March 2007 and in respect of samples taken before that date the principal Regulations apply as if these Regulations had not been made.

4. The principal Regulations shall be amended in accordance with regulations 5 and 6 below.

5. For regulation 13 substitute:

“13.—(1) A sampler may charge £27.50 for making the arrangements to take a sample.

(2) The charge in paragraph (1) is payable whether or not a sample is taken.”.

6. Omit Schedule 2.

Signed by the authority of the Lord Chancellor

Bridget Prentice

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Department for Constitutional Affairs

Dated 20th February 2007

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Rules)

These Regulations increase the charges which may be made by samplers under the Blood Tests (Evidence of Paternity) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1978 in respect of scientific tests carried out on bodily fluid or tissue for the purpose of determining parentage in civil proceedings.

These charges were last increased on 1st July 1992 by the Blood Tests (Evidence of Paternity) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 (S.R. 1992 No. 225).

(1)

S.I. 1977/1250 (N.I. 17); Article 10 was amended by section 65 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4) and section 3 of the Family Law Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 12)

(2)

Functions of the Secretary of State were transferred to the Lord Chancellor by virtue of Article 13 of and Schedule 4 to the Family Law (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1576 (N.I. 6))

(3)

S.R. 1978 No. 379 to which the most recent relevant amendment was made by S.R. 1992 No. 225