Executive formation

I11Extension of period for making Ministerial appointments F2...

1

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 has effect as if, during the current post-election period, for subsections (3A) to (3C) of section 16A (appointment of Ministers following an Assembly election) there were substituted—

3A

In this section “the period for filling Ministerial offices” means the period beginning with 13 May 2022 and ending with F48 February 2024.

2

In this section, “the current post-election period” means the period beginning with 5 May 2022 and ending with the day on which a poll for the election of an Assembly is next held.

1AF1Power to propose date for a poll

1

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 has effect as if, during the current post-election period, section 32 (extraordinary elections) were amended as follows—

a

after subsection (3A), insert—

3AA

At any time before the end of the period mentioned in section 16A(3), the Secretary of State may, if the offices mentioned there have not yet been filled, propose a date for the poll for the election of the next Assembly.

b

in subsection (3B), omit “16A(3) or”;

c

in subsection (3D)(b), after “(3)” insert “, (3AA)”;

d

in subsection (3E)(b), after “subsection” insert “(3AA) or”;

e

in subsection (3F), in the words before paragraph (a), after “subsection” insert “(3AA) or”;

f

in subsection (3G)—

i

in the words before paragraph (a), after “(3)” insert “, (3AA)”;

ii

after paragraph (a), insert—

aa

in the case of a date proposed under subsection (3AA), withdraw the proposal before the end of the period referred to in section 16A(3), or

g

in subsection (4), in the words before paragraph (a), after “(3)” insert “, (3AA)”.

2

In this section, “the current post-election period” has the meaning given in section 1.

F32Power to extend period for making Ministerial appointments by a further six weeks

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