Northern Ireland Act 1998

Tenure of members U.K.

[F1 3 (1) Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, a person holds office as a member in accordance with the terms of the person’s appointment.

(2) A person may not be appointed as a member for more than five years at a time, or more than twice.

(3) A person may resign as a member by notice in writing to the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

(4) The First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly may dismiss a person from office as a member by notice in writing if satisfied that the person—

(a) has without reasonable excuse failed to discharge the functions of the office for a continuous period of three months beginning not earlier than six months before the day of dismissal;

(b) has been convicted of a criminal offence;

(c) has become bankrupt or the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order, a debt relief order or a debt relief restrictions order, or has made a voluntary arrangement;

(d) is unable or unfit to carry out the functions of the office of a member.

(5) Each of the expressions used in sub-paragraph (4)(c) has the same meaning as in the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (S.I. 1989/2405 (N.I. 19).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 9A inserted (22.5.2023) by Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 (c. 45), s. 10(2), Sch. 1; S.I. 2023/566, reg. 2(b)