37.— The Act of 1967 is amended—

(a) in section 4, by the substitution in subsection (2), of “instituted or continued except by the Attorney General” for “instituted or continued except by, or on behalf or with the consent of, the Attorney General”,

(b) in section 4B, by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (1):

“(1) (a) Subject to subsection (3), the prosecutor shall cause the documents specified in paragraph (b) to be served on the accused or his or her solicitor (if any) not later than 42 days from the date on which—

(i) the accused, on being informed by the District Court of his or her right to be tried by a jury, objects to being tried summarily or the prosecutor informs the court that he or she does not consent to the person being tried summarily for the offence concerned or,

(ii) in the case of an offence in respect of which the prosecutor may elect to prosecute either summarily or on indictment, the prosecutor elects to try the offence on indictment, or

(iii) the District Court determines that the facts alleged do not constitute a minor offence and are not fit to be tried summarily.

(b) The documents referred to in paragraph (a) are:

(i) a statement of the charges against the accused;

(ii) a copy of any sworn information in writing upon which the proceedings were initiated;

(iii) a list of the witnesses the prosecutor proposes to call at the trial;

(iv) a statement of the evidence that is expected to be given by each of them;

(v) a copy of any document containing information which it is proposed to give in evidence by virtue of Part II of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992;

(vi) where appropriate, a copy of a certificate under section 6(1) of that Act;

(vii) a list of the exhibits (if any).”,

and

(c) in section 24(5), by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a):

“(a) If the Court is satisfied that a person who has been remanded in custody is unable to be brought before the Court at the expiration of the period of remand—

(i) by reason of illness or accident, or

(ii) for any other good and sufficient reason,

the Court may, in that person’s absence, remand the person for such further period, which may exceed fifteen days, as the Court considers reasonable.”.