Commentary on Sections Section: 306: Limit on period of detention without charge of suspected terrorists Section 311: Reporting restrictions for preparatory hearings
666.This section extends to Northern Ireland the reporting restrictions that apply to preparatory hearings held in long or complex fraud cases under the Criminal Justice Act 1987 and those held in long or complex non-fraud cases held under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996. At present these restrictions extend only to Great Britain. Subsections (3) and (7) provide that the consent of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland is required before proceedings for these offences can be instituted in Northern Ireland.