293ACode of practice (Northern Ireland)

1

The Department of Justice must make a code of practice in connection with the exercise by constables and accredited financial investigators, in relation to Northern Ireland, of the powers conferred by virtue of section 289.

2

Where the Department of Justice proposes to issue a code of practice it must—

a

publish a draft,

b

consider any representations made to the Department of Justice about the draft,

c

if the Department of Justice thinks it appropriate, modify the draft in the light of any such representations.

3

The Department of Justice must lay a draft of the code before the Northern Ireland Assembly.

4

When the Department of Justice has laid a draft of the code before the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Department of Justice may bring it into operation by order.

5

Section 41(3) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies for the purposes of subsections (3) and (4) in relation to the laying of a draft as it applies in relation to the laying of a statutory document under an enactment.

6

The Department of Justice may revise the whole or any part of the code issued by it and issue the code as revised; and subsections (2) to (5) apply to such a revised code as they apply to the original code.

7

A failure by a constable or accredited financial investigator to comply with a provision of the code does not of itself make him liable to criminal or civil proceedings.

8

The code is admissible in evidence in criminal or civil proceedings and is to be taken into account by a court or tribunal in any case in which it appears to the court or tribunal to be relevant.