Features of Statutory Instruments
The main effect of delegated legislation being made by Statutory Instrument is that as soon as it is made it is numbered, catalogued, printed, made available for sale and published on the internet. This ensures that the public has easy access to the new laws.
Numbers are assigned by Her Majesty's Stationery Office and are sequential within the year of making. The number provides a means of citing the Statutory Instrument in addition to the title given by the Instrument itself. So, for example, The Income Tax (Exemption of Minor Benefits) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 are numbered and may be cited as SI 2003 No. 1434 or SI 2003/1434.
In addition to the main numbering system, there are a number of subsidiary numbering systems which may indicate an Instrument's position within a particular series of Instruments (in the following list n indicates the number):
- (C n): Commencement and/or Appointed Day orders which bring into force an Act or part of an Act.
- (L n): legal series: relating to fees or procedures in courts in England and Wales.
- (S n): Scottish series: Instruments made by the United Kingdom Government which apply to Scotland only (these are different from Scottish Statutory Instruments made by the Scottish Government under its devolved powers).
- (NI n): Northern Ireland series: Orders in Council made by the United Kingdom Government under its ‘direct rule’ powers (delegated legislation made by Northern Ireland Departments are made by Statutory Rule).
- (W n): National Assembly for Wales series: Statutory Instruments made by the National Assembly for Wales and applying to Wales only. Welsh language version are numbered (Cy n).
Statutory Instruments will be classified by subject heading in the annual edition printed by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
Printed copies of a Statutory Instrument will generally be on sale within a week of the date it is made.
Read more about this topic: Statutory Instrument (UK)
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