Northern Ireland Act 2000

3 Effect of restoration

(1) This section applies when a restoration order is made.

(2) If, on the date on which the restoration order comes into force (“the effective date”)—

(a) the person who held office as First Minister immediately before the date on which section 1 came into force, and

(b) the person who held office as deputy First Minister at that time,

remain eligible to hold office, they resume office on the effective date and section 16 of the 1998 Act does not apply.

(3) If either of those persons is no longer eligible on the effective date, that section applies—

(a) with the omission of subsection (1); and

(b) as if the person who is no longer eligible ceased to hold office on the effective date.

(4) Subsection (5) applies if the office of First Minister or deputy First Minister was vacant on the date on which section 1 came into force.

(5) On the effective date, section 16 of the 1998 Act applies—

(a) with the omission of subsection (1); and

(b) as if the office had been vacated on the effective date.

(6) If any person who held office as—

(a) a Northern Ireland Minister,

(b) a junior Minister, or

(c) chairman or deputy chairman of a statutory committee,

immediately before the date on which section 1 came into force remains eligible to hold that office, he resumes office on the effective date.

(7) If, after the application of subsection (6), there are vacancies in the offices mentioned there, they are to be filled—

(a) in the case of Northern Ireland Ministers, in accordance with section 18(10) of the 1998 Act,

(b) in the case of junior Ministers, in accordance with the provision for the filling of vacancies made by virtue of section 19(3)(a) of that Act, and

(c) in the case of chairmen or deputy chairmen of statutory committees, in accordance with standing orders made as a result of section 29(8) of that Act,

as if the vacancies occurred on the effective date.