Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002

[F1 69A Information about discharge and leave of absence of mentally disordered persons N.I.

(1) The Secretary of State must make a scheme requiring the Secretary of State to make available to persons falling within subsection (2) information about—

(a) the discharge from hospital of, or

(b) the grant of leave of absence from hospital to,

persons in respect of whom relevant determinations have been made.

(2) The persons referred to in subsection (1) are victims of the offences in respect of which the determinations were made who wish to receive the information.

(3) A relevant determination is made in respect of a person if—

(a) a hospital order with a restriction order is made in respect of him by a court dealing with him for an offence, or

(b) a transfer direction and a restriction direction are given in respect of him while he is serving a sentence of imprisonment in respect of an offence.

(4) The Secretary of State may from time to time make a new scheme or alterations to a scheme.

(5) The information to be made available under a scheme must include information as to any relevant conditions to which a person in respect of whom a relevant determination has been made is to be subject in the event of—

(a) his discharge from hospital, or

(b) the grant of leave of absence from hospital to him.

(6) A condition is relevant for the purposes of subsection (5) if it appears to the Secretary of State that it might affect a victim of an offence in respect of which the determination was made.

(7) A scheme may require the Secretary of State to take all reasonable steps to ascertain whether a person who appears to him to be the victim of an offence in respect of which a relevant determination has been made wishes to make representations about the matters specified in subsection (8).

(8) The matters are—

(a) whether the person in respect of whom the determination has been made should be subject to any conditions in the event of his discharge from hospital or the grant of leave of absence from hospital to him;

(b) if so, what conditions.

(9) A scheme that includes provision such as is mentioned in subsection (7) must specify how the representations are to be made.

(10) A scheme may require other information in relation to the discharge of, or the grant of leave of absence to, persons in respect of whom relevant determinations are made to be made available under the scheme.

(11) The other information may include, in cases of a description specified by the scheme or in which the Secretary of State considers it appropriate, the date on which it is anticipated that a person in respect of whom a relevant determination has been made will be discharged or granted leave of absence from hospital.

(12) Subsections (5) to (8) of section 68 apply in relation to a scheme made under this section as they apply in relation to a scheme made under that section.

(13) A scheme may make different provision in relation to different descriptions of persons in respect of whom a relevant determination is made.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 69A, 69B inserted (14.12.2008) by Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (c. 28), ss. 46(2), 60; S.I. 2008/3065, art. 2