Constitutional Reform Act 2005

11 Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland

For subsection (1) of section 12 of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 (c. 26) (role of the Lord Chief Justice) substitute—

“(1A) The Lord Chief Justice holds the office of President of the Courts of Northern Ireland and is Head of the Judiciary of Northern Ireland.

(1B) As President of the Courts of Northern Ireland he is responsible—

(a) for representing the views of the judiciary of Northern Ireland to Parliament, the Lord Chancellor and Ministers of the Crown generally;

(b) for representing the views of the judiciary of Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the First Minister and deputy First Minister and Northern Ireland Ministers;

(c) for the maintenance of appropriate arrangements for the welfare, training and guidance of the judiciary of Northern Ireland within the resources made available by the Lord Chancellor;

(d) for the maintenance of appropriate arrangements for the deployment of the judiciary of Northern Ireland and the allocation of work within courts.

(1C) The President of the Courts of Northern Ireland is president of the courts listed in subsection (1D) and is entitled to sit in any of those courts.

(1D) The courts are—

• the Court of Appeal

• the High Court

• the Crown Court

• the county courts

• the magistrates' courts.”