Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

moved Amendment No. 178A: 178A: Schedule 36, page 327, line 28, at end insert— ““Criminal Justice Act 1987 (c.38) 21A In section 1(17) of the Criminal Justice Act 1987 (application of Serious Fraud Office provisions to Northern Ireland), for ““Attorney General for Northern Ireland”” substitute ““Advocate General for Northern Ireland””.”” The noble Lord said: This is a government amendment to put right something that was not done as it should have been in the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002. It is the Government’s policy for the Advocate General for Northern Ireland to exercise superintending powers over the Serious Fraud Office in Northern Ireland following devolution of justice matters. The amendment gives effect to this policy. I should take a minute to set out the background. The Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002, which some noble Lords present will remember well, prepared for the devolution of criminal justice matters in Northern Ireland by providing for the appointment of an Advocate General for Northern Ireland who would assume responsibility for matters relating to prosecutions that would not be within the competence of the devolved Administration. We intend that the office of Advocate General for Northern Ireland should be held by the Attorney-General for England and Wales for the time being. Prosecution matters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are, of course, currently the responsibility of the Attorney-General. The 2002 Act makes provision for the responsibility for prosecutorial matters in Northern Ireland to be removed from the Attorney-General and given either to the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland or transferred to the Advocate General for Northern Ireland. However, the superintendence of the work of the Serious Fraud Office in Northern Ireland was inadvertently overlooked. This amendment ensures that the Advocate General for Northern Ireland exercises superintending powers over the Serious Fraud Office in Northern Ireland following devolution of justice matters. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.