The Disclosure of Victims’ and Witnesses’ Information (Prescribed Bodies) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2021 No. 173

Justice

The Disclosure of Victims’ and Witnesses’ Information (Prescribed Bodies) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made

17th June 2021

Coming into operation

16th August 2021

The Department of Justice, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 36 of, and paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 3 to, the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015(1), makes the following Regulations.

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Disclosure of Victims’ and Witnesses’ Information (Prescribed Bodies) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 and shall come into operation on 16^th August 2021.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015;

“support services” has the same meaning as in paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 3 to the Act.

Amendment of the Disclosure of Victims’ and Witnesses’ Information (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

3.—(1) The Disclosure of Victims’ and Witnesses’ Information (Prescribed Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015(2) are amended as follows—

(2) For regulation 3 substitute—

“(3) “The following bodies are prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 3 to the Act—

(a) Victim Support Northern Ireland; and

(b) Advocacy Support Safety Information Services Together Northern Ireland, but only in so far as it relates to the provision of advocacy support services by that body.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 17th June 2021

Naomi Long

Minister of Justice

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 3 to the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (2015 c. 9 (N.I.)) makes provision for a police officer or member of the police support staff to disclose relevant information, as set out in paragraph 1(2), relating to a victim to a prescribed body for the purposes of enabling that body to advise the victim about support services provided by the body, or to offer or provide support services to the victim.

Relevant information relating to a victim means their name and address, any telephone number or e-mail address at which they may be contacted at and other appropriate information in order that they can be advised about, offered or provided services.

These Regulations prescribe the following bodies for the purposes of paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the Act:

(a) Victim Support Northern Ireland; and

(b) Advocacy Support Safety Information Services Together Northern Ireland (ASSIST NI) (in so far as the disclosure of relevant information relates to the provision of advocacy support services by that body).

(1)

2015 c. 9 (N.I.).

(2)

S.R. 2015 No. 330.