The Trade Union Ballots and Elections (Independent Scrutineer Qualifications) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2017

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

Articles 15, 49, 77 and 106 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 require certain ballots and elections that trade unions are required to hold by statute to be supervised by a qualified independent person, known as a “scrutineer”, appointed by the trade union.

This Order amends the Trade Union Ballots and Elections (Independent Scrutineer Qualifications) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010. It amends the list of bodies specified by name as being qualified for appointment as a scrutineer.

A body specified by name may be appointed as a scrutineer of a ballot or election provided that the trade union has no grounds for believing—

that the person or body will carry out his functions less than competently; or

that the independence of the person or body in relation to the union, or the ballot or election, is open to question.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this statutory rule as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.