Article 56A Legal proceedings

Notwithstanding anything in Article 19(1)(a) of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, summary proceedings for an offence under Articles 17(6), 26A(2), 30(2), 34(3), 44(4), 46(2) and 52 or under regulations or orders made under this Order may be brought at any time within 6 months from the date on which evidence sufficient in the opinion of the Department to warrant the proceedings comes to the knowledge of the Department; but no such proceedings shall be brought by virtue of this Article more than 2 years after the commission of the offence.

For the purposes of this Article a certificate signed on behalf of the Department and stating the date on which such evidence as aforesaid came to the knowledge of the Department shall be conclusive evidence of that fact; and a certificate stating that matter and purporting to be so signed by the secretary of, or other officer authorised by, the Department shall be deemed to be so signed unless the contrary is proved.