Introductory text

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 1998^f1 (“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 meeting^f2;

(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 Act^f3, 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

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.