Irish Legal Terms Act, 1945

Legal terms orders.

3.—(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the Minister may, whenever he so thinks proper, by order declare that the equivalent in the Irish language of any specified term shall be such word or words as he thinks fit and specifies in the order.

(2) The following provisions shall have effect with respect to the making of a legal terms order:—

(a) before making the order the Minister shall—

(i) cause a draft thereof to be prepared, and for this purpose the joint secretaries of the Committee shall render him such assistance as he may require, and

(ii) request the Committee to consider and report on the draft;

(b) on consideration of the said report, the Minister may, at his discretion, make the order, either in accordance with the draft or with such modifications thereof as, having regard to the said report, he thinks proper.

(3) Whenever the Minister makes a legal terms order declaring that the equivalent in the Irish language of a specified term shall be the word or words specified in the order, then, the said word or words whenever occurring in—

(a) any Act of the Oireachtas enacted in the Irish language on or after the date (in this subsection referred to as the operative date) of the coming into force of the order, or

(b) the official translation of any Act of the Oireachtas enacted in the English language on or after the operative date, or

(c) any statutory instrument drawn up in the Irish language and made on or after the operative date, or

(d) the official translation of any statutory instrument drawn up in the English language and made on or after the operative date, or

(e) any instrument, having or intended to have legal effect or consequences, drawn up in the Irish language and executed on or after the operative date, or

(f) any document, used in, or for the purposes of, any legal proceeding, which is drawn up in the Irish language and is made, issued or served on or after the operative date,

shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as having the same meaning as, and have the same force and effect as, the said specified term.

(4) Every legal terms order shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made.