Article 1 Title, commencement and interpretation

This Order may be cited as the Lay Magistrates (Eligibility) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 and shall come into operation on the same day as section 9(1) of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 comes into force.

In this Order –

• “close relative” means, in relation to a particular person, the father, father-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law or step child of that person and any such relative of a person who is a partner of that person; and

• “partner” means, in relation to a particular person, another person (whether of a different sex or the same sex) who is not a close relative, but with whom that person is living in an enduring family relationship.