The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010

5.  In Article 7 (power to release life prisoners on compassionate grounds)—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) for “Secretary of State” substitute “Department of Justice”;

(ii) for “he” substitute “the Department of Justice”;

(b) in paragraph (2) for “Secretary of State” substitute “Department of Justice”;

(c) after paragraph (2) insert—

“(3) The Secretary of State may notify the Department of Justice that a life prisoner is not to be released under this Article without the Secretary of State’s agreement; and, if the Secretary of State gives such a notification in relation to a prisoner, the Department of Justice may not release the prisoner under this Article without the Secretary of State’s agreement.

(4) But the Secretary of State may—

(a) give a notification, or

(b) refuse his agreement to a release,

only if his decision to do so is arrived at (wholly or partly) on the basis of protected information.”