Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to make provision about justice and security in Northern Ireland. |
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| Citation | 2007 c 6 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 May 2007 |
| History of passage through Parliament | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 is an important law made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its main goal was to help make Northern Ireland a safer and more normal place. This law aimed to improve how justice and security worked there.
What is This Law About?
This law was created to help Northern Ireland move forward. It focused on making security arrangements more normal. This meant changing some special rules that were in place. The Act helped bring peace and stability to the region.
When Did the Law Start?
Laws do not always start right after they are passed. They often need special orders to begin. These are called "commencement orders." Section 53 of this Act allowed for these orders. They decided exactly when different parts of the law would become active.
Here are the orders that helped this law begin:
- The Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (Commencement No.1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2007
- The Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (Commencement No.2) Order 2007
- The Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (Commencement No.3) Order 2009
Trials Without Juries
One very important part of this law was about trials. Normally, in many countries, a group of citizens called a jury decides if someone is guilty or innocent. This is called a jury trial.
However, in Northern Ireland, for certain serious cases, trials were sometimes held without a jury. This was known as a bench trial. In a bench trial, only a judge or a panel of judges decides the outcome. These special courts were sometimes called Diplock courts.
Schedule 1 of the 2007 Act allowed these non-jury trials to continue. This was a temporary measure. It was put in place to deal with specific security concerns in Northern Ireland. The goal was to ensure justice could still be carried out safely.
