Commentary Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice Section 47: Further provisions about functions
86.This section sets out more functions of the Chief Inspector and also provides certain limits to the exercise of his functions.
87.The Chief Inspector must consult the Secretary of State and the Attorney General for Northern Ireland when preparing his programme of inspections (subsection (1)). The Secretary of State is given powers to require the Chief Inspector to carry out inspections (subsection (3)), to provide advice (subsection (7)) in relation to organisations listed in section 46 and to carry out reviews into any matter relating to the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland (other than a matter relating to a court or tribunal) (subsection (4)). However, the consent of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland is necessary before the Secretary of State may require the Chief Inspector to carry out any inspection or review relating to the Public Prosecution Service (subsection (5)). These powers, and the general functions of the Chief Inspector in section 46, are subject to two express limitations, set out in subsection (6), namely that the Chief Inspector is not permitted to carry out inspections or reviews of individual cases, nor may he carry out inspections relating to activities of an organisation which do not relate to the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland.