(1) This Order may be cited as the Northern Ireland (Royal Assent to Bills) Order 1999 and shall come into force on the appointed day.
(2) In this Order, references to Letters Patent are to Letters Patent signed with Her Majesty's own hand signifying Her Assent to a Bill passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
This provision will come into force on the “appointed day” as defined in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, s 3(1).
(1) Letters Patent are to take the form set out in the Schedule to this Order, subject only to such variations as are specified in the Schedule itself or are necessitated by circumstances to be referred to in the Letters Patent on a particular occasion.
(2) They may be prepared on paper or parchment, and may be printed or written or partly printed and partly written.
This provision will come into force on the “appointed day” as defined in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, s 3(1).
Letters Patent are to be published in the Belfast Gazette.
This provision will come into force on the “appointed day” as defined in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, s 3(1).
A K Galloway
Clerk of the Privy Council
“ELIZABETH THE SECOND by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, To the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly GREETING:
WHEREAS you the Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have passed a Bill the short title of which is set out in the Schedule hereto but the said Bill does not become an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly without Our Royal Assent;
AND WHEREAS pursuant to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 the said Bill has been submitted to Us by [insert name of Secretary of State] one of Our Principal Secretaries of State for Our Royal Assent;
We have therefore caused these Our Letters Patent to be made and have signed them and by them We give Our Royal Assent to the said Bill COMMANDING [insert name of Clerk of the Crown for Northern Ireland] the Clerk of the Crown for Northern Ireland to seal these Our Letters with the Great Seal of Northern Ireland AND ALSO COMMANDING that these Our Letters be notified to the Presiding Officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly;
AND FINALLY WE declare that, in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998, at the beginning of the day on which Our Royal Assent has been notified as aforesaid the said Bill shall become an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent
WITNESS Ourself at the day of in the year of Our Reign
By the Queen Herself Signed with Her Own Hand”
This provision will come into force on the “appointed day” as defined in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, s 3(1).
Under section 5(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, a Bill becomes an Act at the beginning of the day on which Letters Patent signifying Royal Assent are notified to the Presiding Officer of the Assembly. This Order in Council prescribes a standard form for the Letters Patent.
The Order also requires the Letters Patent to be published in the Belfast Gazette.
