Clause 22
Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill
1:45 pm
Laurence Robertson (Shadow Minister, Northern Ireland; Tewkesbury, Conservative)
I take the hon. Gentleman’s point, but clause 24(1) states:
“A member of Her Majesty’s forces on duty who reasonably believes that a person is unlawfully detained in such circumstances that his life is in danger may enter”.
Subsection (2) states that a member of Her Majesty’s forces
“may enter a dwelling...only if he is authorised for the purpose by a commissioned officer of Her Majesty’s forces.”
That contradicts clause 22 slightly.
I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point, but I am a little surprised that there is a difference between a constable, who must obtain authorisation where it is reasonably practicable, and a member of Her Majesty’s forces, who need not. I will not press the amendment, which is just a probing amendment to draw out the Minister’s explanation.