Commentary on Sections Powers of stop, search and seizure in Northern Ireland Section 96 Power to Stop and Search in Anticipation of Violence
242.Section 96 provides for the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 to be amended by the insertion of a new Article, which makes similar provision for Northern Ireland to that made for Great Britain by virtue of Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which does not extend to Northern Ireland. Where a senior police officer reasonably believes that incidents involving serious violence may take place in a locality, he may issue an authorisation which enables the police to stop and search pedestrians and vehicles for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments and to seize any such instruments.