{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-57",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-57.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1986/1888",
  "legislation_title": "The Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/social-security-northern-ireland-order-1986",
  "path": "article/57",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "57",
  "heading": "Legal proceedings",
  "text": "(1) Any person authorised by the Department. . . in that behalf may conduct any proceedings under the benefit Acts before a magistrates' court although not a barrister or solicitor.\n(2) Notwithstanding anything in any statutory provision—\n(a) proceedings for an offence under the benefit Acts. . . may be begun at any time within the period of three months from the date on which evidence, sufficient in the opinion of the Department to justify a prosecution for the offence, comes to its knowledge or within a period of twelve months from the commission of the offence, whichever period last expires;. . .\nSub.‐para. (b) rep. by 1992 c. 9\n(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)—\n(a ) a certificate purporting to be signed by the Head or a secretary, under secretary or assistant secretary of the Department. . . as to the date on which such evidence as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) or (b) of that paragraph came to its knowledge shall be conclusive evidence of that date;. . .\nSub‐para. (b) rep. by 1992 c. 9\nPara. (3A) rep. by 1992 c. 9\nParas. (4), (5) rep. by 1989 NI 12",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "mod. (exc. (2)(b),(3)(b)) by SR 1988/137"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "1992 c. 9"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "mod. by SR 1988/137"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1986/1888/article/57",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:48:17.921248+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."
}