The Act Commentary on Sections Part 1: Youth rehabilitation orders Section 3 and Schedule 3: transfer of youth rehabilitation orders to Northern Ireland.
165.Section 3 introduces Schedule 3, which sets out the procedure for transferring YROs to Northern Ireland.
166.Part 1 of Schedule 3 concerns the making or amendment of a YRO where an offender resides or will reside in Northern Ireland.
167.Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 3 define the circumstances in which a court may make or amend a YRO where the offender resides or proposes to reside in Northern Ireland. The court must be satisfied that the requirements of the YRO do not exceed the requirements that may be imposed in a corresponding order made by a court in Northern Ireland. The court must also be satisfied that suitable arrangements for the offender’s supervision can be made in Northern Ireland and, where appropriate, that provision can be made for the offender to comply with the requirements of the YRO in the locality in Northern Ireland where he proposes to live. The court may not require a local authority residence requirement or a fostering requirement to be complied with in Northern Ireland.
168.Under paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 when an order is made or amended where the offender resides or proposes to reside in Northern Ireland, the order must specify the petty sessions district in Northern Ireland in which the offender resides or will be residing when the order or amendment is made.
169.A YRO made or amended under Part 1 of Schedule 3 will have effect as if it were a corresponding order made by a court in Northern Ireland (see paragraph 9). The YRO must specify the corresponding Northern Ireland order and, before making the YRO, the court must explain to the offender the requirements of Northern Ireland law relating to the corresponding order and the relevant powers of the courts.
170.Paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 modifies the provisions in Part 1 of the Act so that they are relevant to Northern Ireland. In particular, it provides that references to the responsible officer have effect as references to the person who is to be responsible for the offender’s supervision under the order, ie. for the performance of supervisory, enforcement or other related functions under the relevant Northern Ireland legislation (see paragraph 6)
171.Part 2 of Schedule 3 applies where an order has been made or amended under Part 1. Paragraph 9sets out the effect of a YRO in Northern Ireland and paragraph 10has the effect that the offender must keep in touch with the person responsible for his or her supervision in Northern Ireland.
172.Paragraph 11 of Schedule 3 provides the Crown Court in Northern Ireland with the power to direct that proceedings in Northern Ireland be before the appropriate court of summary jurisdiction in Northern Ireland where the YRO has been made or amended by the Crown Court.
173.Paragraph 12 provides that, where a YRO has been transferred to Northern Ireland, the court in Northern Ireland (the “home court”) may, subject to a number of exceptions, exercise any power which it could exercise in relation to a corresponding order in Northern Ireland. Paragraph 13 gives the home court the power to require an offender to appear before the relevant court in England or Wales. The power may be exercised if it appears to the home court that the offender has failed to comply with one or more of the requirements of the order, in which case the home court must send a certificate specifying the failure, together with other details of the case, to the court in England and Wales (see paragraph 14). The power may also be exercised if the home court considers that it would be in the interests of justice for the court in England and Wales to exercise its powers under Schedule 2 to revoke or amend the order.
174.Paragraph 15 of Schedule 3 sets out the powers available to a court in England or Wales where an offender is required to appear before it by virtue of paragraph 13. The court may issue a warrant for the offender’s arrest and it may exercise any power which it could exercise under the YRO if the offender resided in England or Wales. Paragraph 16provides that the court in England and Wales cannot amend the YRO unless provision can be made for the offender to comply with the amended provisions in Northern Ireland and that arrangements for supervision can be made.
175.Paragraph 17 of Schedule 3 provides that, if the law in Northern Ireland changes to make further types of orders available to courts in Northern Ireland dealing with offenders aged under 18 at the time of conviction, the Secretary of State may by order (subject to the negative resolution procedure) make appropriate amendments to Schedule 3