66 Preliminary inquiry.N.I.
(1)In proceedings before a magistrates’ court for a scheduled offence, if the prosecution requests the court to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the offence the court shall grant the request.
(2)In subsection (1) “preliminary inquiry” means a preliminary inquiry under the M1Magistrates’ Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.
(3)Subsection (1)—
(a)shall apply notwithstanding anything in Article 31 of that Order,
(b)shall not apply in respect of an offence where the court considers that in the interests of justice a preliminary investigation should be conducted into the offence under that Order, and
(c)shall not apply in respect of an extra-territorial offence (as defined in section 1(3) of the M2Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975)).
(4)Where a person charged with a scheduled offence is also charged with a non-scheduled offence, the non-scheduled offence shall be treated as a scheduled offence for the purposes of this section.