The Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

Revision of a code of practice

2.—(1) The Commission may from time to time revise the whole or any part of a code of practice under Article 9.

(2) If the Commission proposes to revise a code of practice, it shall publish a draft of the revised code or of the amendments to the existing code.

(3) The Commission shall consider any representations made to it about the draft and may modify the draft accordingly.

(4) In the course of preparing any draft for publication under sub-paragraph (2) the Commission shall consult with such persons as the Commission thinks fit.

(5) Where the Commission determines to proceed with the revision of a code of practice after publishing the draft under sub-paragraph (2), the Commission shall send a draft of the revised code to the Department which shall—

(a)if it approves of the draft, lay it before the Assembly; and

(b)if it does not approve of the draft, publish details of its reasons for withholding approval.

(6) If, within the statutory period beginning with the day on which the draft of the revised code is laid before the Assembly, the Assembly so resolves, no further proceedings shall be taken on the draft, but without prejudice to the laying before the Assembly of a new draft.

(7) If no such resolution ispassed asisreferred to in sub-paragraph (6),the Commission shall issue the revised code of practice in the form of the draft and the code shall come into effect on such day as the Department may by order appoint.