The Northern Ireland (Monitoring Commission etc.) Act 2003 (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2003

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"the 1961 Convention Articles" means the Articles (being certain Articles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations signed in 1961) which are set out in Schedule 1 to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 [3].

    (2) For the purposes of this Order, the "official activities" of the Commission means its activities carried out in pursuance of its purpose as defined in the Agreement and includes its administrative activities.

The Commission
     3. The Commission shall have the legal capacities of a body corporate.

     4. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Commission, and subject to section 2 of the Act, the Commission, or in the case of Article 6(2) of the Agreement the relevant Members of the Commission, shall have immunity from suit and legal process.

     5. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Commission, the Commission shall have the like inviolability of official archives and premises as in accordance with the 1961 Convention Articles is accorded in respect of the official archives and premises of a diplomatic mission.

     6. The Commission shall have exemption from prohibitions and restrictions on importation and exportation in the case of goods imported or exported by or on behalf of the Commission and necessary for the exercise of its official activities.

Members of the Commission
     7. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Commission, the Members of the Commission shall enjoy: - 

(a) immunity from suit and legal process in respect of things done or omitted to be done by them in the course of the performance of their official duties;

(b) unless they are British citizens, British overseas territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British Nationals (Overseas) or permanently resident in the United Kingdom, exemption from income tax in respect of the salaries and emoluments received by them as Members of the Commission, provided that nothing in this sub-paragraph shall be interpreted as precluding such salaries and emoluments from being taken into account for the purposes of assessing the amount of taxation to be applied to income from other sources;

(c) unless they are British citizens, British overseas territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British Nationals (Overseas) or permanently resident in the United Kingdom, exemptions whereby for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security, including enactments in force in Northern Ireland: - 


(i) services rendered for the Commission by them shall be deemed to be excepted from any class of employment in respect of which contributions under those enactments are payable, but

(ii) no person shall be rendered liable to pay any contribution which he would not be required to pay if those services were not deemed to be so excepted.

Staff of the Commission
     8. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Commission, the staff of the Commission shall enjoy: - 

(a) immunity from suit and legal process in respect of things done or omitted to be done by them in the course of the performance of their official duties;

(b) unless they are British citizens, British overseas territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British Nationals (Overseas) or permanently resident in the United Kingdom, exemption from income tax in respect of the salaries and emoluments received by them as staff of the Commission, provided that nothing in this sub-paragraph shall be interpreted as precluding such salaries and emoluments from being taken into account for the purposes of assessing the amount of taxation to be applied to income from other sources;

(c) unless they are British citizens, British overseas territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British Nationals (Overseas) or permanently resident in the United Kingdom, exemptions whereby for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security, including enactments in force in Northern Ireland: - 


(i) services rendered for the Commission by them shall be deemed to be excepted from any class of employment in respect of which contributions under those enactments are payable, but

(ii) no person shall be rendered liable to pay any contribution which he would not be required to pay if those services were not deemed to be so excepted.

Agents and Other Persons
     9. Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Commission, agents of, or persons carrying out work for or giving advice to, the Commission shall enjoy immunity from suit and legal process in respect of things done or omitted to be done by them in the course of the performance of their official duties.


Jack Straw
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

3rd December 2003

[2] Cm. 6068.back

[3] 1964 c. 81.back