Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978

[F1 102D Interpretation of Part 9A N.I.

(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Part.

(2) The following expressions have the meanings given—

• “court” means—

  (a)

  the Court of Appeal,

  (b)

  the High Court,

  (c)

  the Crown Court,

  (d)

  a county court, or

  (e)

  a magistrates' court;

• “court or tribunal proceedings” means any proceedings in any court or statutory tribunal;

• “the Department”—

  (a)

  in relation to a court, means the Department of Justice, and

  (b)

  in relation to a statutory tribunal, means a Northern Ireland department;

• “designated live-streaming premises” means premises that are designated by the Department for the purposes of this section as premises provided by the Department for the purpose of enabling members of the public to see and hear, or hear, proceedings that are broadcast in accordance with directions under section 102A;

• “recording” means a recording on any medium—

  (a)

  of a single image, a moving image or any sound, or

  (b)

  from which a single image, a moving image or any sound may be produced or reproduced;

• “statutory tribunal” means a tribunal (however named or described, and including a coroner holding an inquest) established by or under a statutory provision, but does not include—

  (a)

  a court, or

  (b)

  any tribunal established by or under a statutory provision that could not have been included in an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly made without the Secretary of State's consent;

• “transmission” means any transmission by electronic means of a single image, a moving image or any sound.

(3) A “live video link”, in relation to a person (“P”) taking part in proceedings, is a live television link or other arrangement which—

(a) enables P to see and hear all other persons taking part in the proceedings who are not in the same location as P, and

(b) enables all other persons taking part in the proceedings who are not in the same location as P to see and hear P.

(4) Proceedings are conducted wholly as video proceedings if—

(a) directions have been given, whether under paragraph 2 of Schedule 27 to the Coronavirus Act 2020 or any other power, for all the persons taking part in the proceedings to do so through a live video link, and

(b) all those persons take part in the proceedings in accordance with those directions.

(5) A “live audio link”, in relation to a person (“P”) taking part in proceedings, is a live telephone link or other arrangement which—

(a) enables P to hear all other persons taking part in the proceedings who are not in the same location as P, and

(b) enables all other persons taking part in the proceedings who are not in the same location as P to hear P.

(6) Proceedings are conducted wholly as audio proceedings if—

(a) directions have been given, whether under paragraph 2 of Schedule 27 to the Coronavirus Act 2020 or any other power, for all the persons taking part in the proceedings to do so through a live audio link, and

(b) all those persons take part in the proceedings in accordance with those directions.

(7) An image or sound—

(a) is transmitted through a live video link if it is transmitted as part of a person's participation in court or tribunal proceedings through a live video link;

(b) is transmitted through a live audio link if it is transmitted as part of a person's participation in court or tribunal proceedings through a live audio link.

(8) The extent (if any) to which a person is unable to hear or see by reason of any impairment of hearing or eyesight is to be disregarded for the purposes of subsections (3) and (5).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Pt. 9A inserted (temp. until 24.3.2025) (N.I.) (25.3.2020) by virtue of Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7), s. 87(1), Sch. 27 para. 8 (with ss. 88-90) (which affecting provision expires by virtue of Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7), s. 89 (with s. 90), but is continued by: S.R. 2022/24, arts. 1, 3; S.R. 2022/227, art. 2; S.R. 2023/46, art. 2; S.R. 2023/138, art. 2; S.R. 2024/72, art. 2; and S.R. 2024/173, art. 2)