Part 2: The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) Admissibility of information provided to the ICRIR Section 7: Admissibility of material in criminal proceedings
This section creates restrictions on the use of material against a person in criminal proceedings, where that material was obtained by or provided to the ICRIR by that person. It does not affect the use of material in proceedings brought against any other person.
	Subsection (2) relates to "compelled material", which is defined in subsection (10) as anything that has been obtained by the ICRIR through the exercise of the ICRIR’s powers under section 14 (power to issue a notice requiring the provision of information etc.). By virtue of this subsection, compelled material cannot be used in evidence in criminal proceedings against the person who was compelled to provide it.
	Subsections (3) relates to material provided to the ICRIR by an applicant for immunity from prosecution in connection with that application. Neither this material, nor anything else obtained directly or indirectly as a result of such material, may be used in evidence in criminal proceedings against the applicant.
	Subsection (4) creates two limited but important exceptions to the restrictions under subsections (2) and (3). The first would allow compelled material to be used against the person providing it in a prosecution for the new offence at paragraph 8(1)(a) of Schedule 4 of distorting or otherwise altering that material. The second ensures that these restrictions would not prevent a prosecution for the new offence of providing a false statement as part of an immunity application (see section 27).
	Subsection (5) relates to material not covered by subsections (2) and (3). It provides that material obtained from, or provided by, a person for the purposes of, or in connection with, any of the ICRIR’s functions may not be used in evidence against that person unless one of the two exceptions created by subsections (5) or (6) apply.
	Subsection (6) creates an exception from the restriction created by subsection (5), in cases where the material was provided to, or obtained by, an ICRIR officer designated under section 6(1) or (2) (the Commissioner for Investigations and any other ICRIR officer designated as having the powers and privileges of a constable). An example would include information provided by a suspect in response to questions put as part of a formal interview under caution.
	Subsection (7) creates a further exception from the restriction created by subsection (5), which applies in cases where the criminal proceedings relate to the ICRIR’s exercise of its functions, any other conduct by the ICRIR, or the conduct of current and former ICRIR staff and others in a similar position. This exception would, for example, ensure that subsection (5) did not inhibit the prosecution of a person who was found to have deliberately made false statements on an application form in order to secure employment with the ICRIR.
	Subsection (8) clarifies that the exceptions created by subsections (4, (6)) and (7), where they apply, do not affect the application of any other legislation or rule of law relating to their admissibility in criminal proceedings.
	Subsection (9) clarifies the effects of the restrictions on admissibility created by this section, subsection (10) clarifies the scope of the restrictions (in terms of the material covered), and subsection (11) creates relevant definitions including "compelled material".