The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Related to Courts, Tribunals and Inquests) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2022 No. 24

Justice

Livelinks And Inquests

The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Related to Courts, Tribunals and Inquests) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

Made

27th January 2022

Coming into operation in accordance with Article 1

Approved by resolution of the Assembly on

1st March 2022

The Department of Justice(1) makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 90(2) of the Coronavirus Act 2020(2).

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Related to Courts, Tribunals and Inquests) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 and shall come into operation at the time it is made.

Deaths in Custody from Natural Illness provision

2.  Section 32 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 does not expire at the time when it would otherwise expire and expires instead on 24th September 2022.

Live Links provisions

3.  Parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 27 to the Coronavirus Act 2020, and section 57 of that Act so far as it relates to those Parts, do not expire at the time when they would otherwise expire and expire instead on 24th September 2022.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 27th January 2022

Naomi Long

Minister of Justice

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order extends the provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7) (the “2020 Act”) which allow a coroner to hold an inquest into a death in prison caused by natural illness without a jury and which provide for courts and statutory tribunals in Northern Ireland to receive evidence, wholly or in part, through the use of audio or video live links.

Article 2 extends the operation of section 32 of the Act for nearly six months after the period of time provided for by section 89 (1) of the 2020 Act, so that a coroner can hold (or continue to hold) an inquest into a death in prison caused by natural illness without a jury until 24 September 2022.

Article 3 extends the period of time provided by section 89 (1) of the 2020 Act for nearly 6 months so that the wider and extended use of video or audio live links by all or any courts or a statutory tribunal (Part 1 of Schedule 27) and the provisions which facilitate public participation in legal proceedings where live links are being used while protecting those proceedings from unauthorised recordings or transmission (Part 2 of Schedule 27) can continue until the 24 September 2022.

(1)

2010 c. 3 (N.I.), s. 1(1).

(2)

2020 c. 7.