Access to Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

1.—(1) The Costs in Criminal Cases Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 shall be amended as follows.

(2) In section 4(1) (costs awarded by Court of Appeal on dismissing appeal or application) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b)to pay to the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission the whole or any part of the costs of criminal defence services funded by the Commission in respect of the appeal or application under the Access to Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003; and”.

(3) In section 6 (effect of costs of legal aid)—

(a)for “Part III of the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981” substitute “the Access to Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2003”; and

(b)in paragraph (b) for the words from “Lord Chancellor” to the end substitute “Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission the whole or any part of the costs of the criminal defence services funded by the Commission for the defendant or (as the case may be) the appellant”.