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The Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Code of Conduct) Order 2005

S.I. 2005/901 · Made 23 March 2005

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Made 23rd March 2005

Laid before Parliament 24th March 2005

Coming into force 15th April 2005

Whereas—

(1)

in pursuance of subsection (2)(a) of section 3 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland)Act 1998f1 (“the 1998 Act”) the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland (“the Commission”) is required to keep under review the Code of Conduct issued under that section providing guidance to persons organising a public procession or protest meeting and regulating the conduct of persons organising, taking part in or supporting such a procession or organising or taking part in such a meetingf2;

(2)

in pursuance of subsection (2)(b) of that section the Commission may from time to time revise the whole or any part of the Code of Conduct and issue the revised Code of Conduct;

(3)

in pursuance of paragraph 5 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Actf3, the Commission has prepared a draft of the revised Code of Conduct, submitted the draft to the Secretary of State and made such modifications to the draft as the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Commission, required;

(4)

in pursuance of paragraph 7 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act, the Commission has sent the draft Code of Conduct to the Secretary of State who has laid the draft before each House of Parliament:

Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by paragraph 8 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act, hereby makes the following Order:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1998 c. 2.

f2

Section 3(1)(b) of the 1998 Act was amended by Article 3(2) of the Public Processions (Amendment)(Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/857 (N.I. 2)) (“2005 Order”) to provide that the Code of Conduct should regulate the conduct of those supporting a public procession as well as the conduct of those organising or taking part in a public procession or protest meeting.

f3

Article 7 of the 2005 Order modifies the procedure in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Schedule 2 to the 1998 Act which the Parades Commission must follow for the first revision of the Code of Conduct, procedural rules and guidelines after the coming into operation of the 2005 Order to provide for a fast- track procedure in relation to this revision only.

Contents

  1. 1Citation and commencement
  2. 2Revised Code of Conduct
  3. 3Revocation
  4. Signature
  5. Explanatory note

1Citation and commencement

This Order may be cited as the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Code of Conduct) Order 2005 and shall come into force on 15th April 2005.

2Revised Code of Conduct

The revised Code of Conduct laid in draft before Parliament on 24th March 2005 providing guidance to persons organising a public procession or protest meeting and regulating the conduct of persons organising, taking part in or supporting a public procession or organising or taking part in a protest meeting, in respect of any such public procession or protest meeting held, or proposed to he held, on or after 14th May 2005, shall come into operation on 15th April 2005.

3Revocation

The Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Code of Conduct) Order 1999f1(which brought into operation the draft Code of Conduct laid before Parliament on 30th June 1999), is hereby revoked with effect from 14th May 2005.

Signature

Ian Pearson

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Northern Ireland Office

23rd March 2005

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order appoints 15th April 2005 as the date on which the revised Code of Conduct under section 3(2) of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (“the 1998 Act”), which provides guidance to persons organising a public procession or protest meeting and regulates the conduct of persons organising, taking part in or supporting such a procession or organising or taking part in such a meeting, is to come into operation. Article 3(2) of the Public Processions (Amendment)(Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/857 (N.I. 2)) amended section 3(1)(b) of the 1998 Act to provide for the Code of Conduct to regulate the conduct of persons supporting a public procession.

The revised Code, which is issued by the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland (“the Commission”), replaces the Code of Conduct which was brought into operation on 31st July 1999 by the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (Code of Conduct) Order 1999 (S.I.1999/2116) (which is revoked by this Order).

The revised Code of Conduct is published by the Commission and copies may be obtained from the Commission at 12th Floor, Windsor House, Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7EL.