Part 2Law Officers and Public Prosecution Service

Relationship of Director and Attorney General

42 Independence of Director

1

The functions of the Director shall be exercised by him independently of any other person.

2

The Director must consult the Attorney General for Northern Ireland and the Advocate General for Northern Ireland—

a

before issuing or making alterations to a code under section 37, and

b

before preparing his annual report.

3

The Attorney General for Northern Ireland and the Director may (from time to time) consult each other on any matter for which the Attorney General for Northern Ireland is accountable to the Assembly.

4

The Advocate General for Northern Ireland and the Director may (from time to time) consult each other on any matter for which the Advocate General for Northern Ireland is accountable to Parliament.

5

The Director must send a copy of each annual report prepared by him to—

a

the Attorney General for Northern Ireland, and

b

the Advocate General for Northern Ireland.

6

The Attorney General for Northern Ireland must lay before the Assembly a copy of each annual report received by him under subsection (5); and the Advocate General for Northern Ireland must lay before each House of Parliament a copy of each annual report so received by him.

7

If a part of an annual report is excluded from publication under section 39(4)—

a

the same exclusion is to be made from the copies which are laid under subsection (6), and

b

a statement that the part has been excluded is to be laid with those copies.