The Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

Period within which proceedings must be brought

46.—(1) Subject to paragraph (5), the Tribunal shall not consider a complaint under Article 38 unless it is brought before whichever is the earlier of—

(a)the end of the period of 3 months beginning with the day on which the complainant first had knowledge, or might reasonably be expected first to have had knowledge, of the act complained of; or

(b)the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the day on which the act was done.

(2) Subject to paragraph (5), a county court shall not consider a claim under Article 40 unless proceedings in respect of the claim are instituted before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the day on which the act complained of was done.

(3) Subject to paragraph (5), the Tribunal or county court shall not consider an application under Article 42(2)(a) unless it is made before the end of the period of 6 months beginning with the day on which the act to which it relates was done; and a county court shall not consider an application under Article 42(4) unless it is made before the end of the period of 5 years so beginning.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), a county court shall not consider an application under Article 43(4) in relation to an undertaking under that Article unless it is made before the end of the period specified in the undertaking by virtue of paragraph (3)(d) of that Article.

(5) A court or the Tribunal may nevertheless consider any such complaint, claim or application which is out of time if, in all the circumstances of the case, it considers that it is just and equitable to do so.

(6) For the purposes of this Article—

(a)when the inclusion of any term in a contract renders the making of the contract an unlawful act, that act shall be treated as extending throughout the duration of the contract; and

(b)any act extending over a period shall be treated as done at the end of that period; and

(c)a deliberate omission shall be treated as done when the person in question does an act inconsistent with doing the omitted act or, if he has done no such inconsistent act, when the period expires within which he might reasonably have been expected to do the omitted act if it were to be done.