{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-service-special-advisers-act-northern-ireland-2013/section-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-service-special-advisers-act-northern-ireland-2013/section-2.json",
  "legislation": "nia/2013/8",
  "legislation_title": "Civil Service (Special Advisers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2013",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-service-special-advisers-act-northern-ireland-2013",
  "path": "section/2",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Special advisers: serious criminal convictions",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsection (2) and section 3, a person is not eligible for appointment as a special adviser if the person has a serious criminal conviction.\n(2) Where a Minister proposes to appoint as a special adviser a person who has a serious criminal conviction, that person may refer the proposed appointment to the Department of Finance and Personnel.\n(3) Where a person who holds an appointment as a special adviser incurs a serious criminal conviction, that person's appointment terminates immediately by virtue of this Act.\n(4) Where on the date of coming into operation of this subsection a person—\n(a) holds an appointment as a special adviser, and\n(b) has before that date incurred a serious criminal conviction,\nthat person's appointment terminates immediately by virtue of this Act.\n(5) But a person to whom subsection (4) will apply may refer the appointment to the Department, within 21 days of this subsection coming into operation.\n(6) A Minister must inform the Department in writing whether any special adviser appointed by the Minister has a serious criminal conviction.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 2 wholly in operation at 8.9.2013; s. 2(5) in operation at Royal Assent see s. 12(1); s. 2(6) in operation at 8.8.2013 see s. 12(2); s. 2(1)-(4) in operation at 8.9.2013 see s. 12(3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2013/8/section/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:20:28.912849+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}