§ 8 (1) A person is disqualified for membership of a sub-group if he is—
- (a) a police officer;
- (b) a member of the police support staff,
- (c) a member of the Board; or
- (d) an employee of the council.
§ (2) A person removed from office under paragraph 7(1) is disqualified for membership of a sub-group until the date of the next local general election following his removal.
§ (3) A person is disqualified for being an independent member of a sub-group if—
- (a) he has been convicted in Northern Ireland or elsewhere of any offence and has had passed on him a sentence of imprisonment or detention, and
- (b) the relevant period has not ended.
§ (4) The relevant period is the period of five years beginning with the person's discharge in respect of the offence.
§ (5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) the following are to be treated as the discharge of a person (whether or not his release is subject to conditions)—
- (a) his release on licence;
- (b) his release in pursuance of a grant of remission.
§ (6) Sub-paragraph (5) does not apply in relation to the release of a person in respect of an offence if he is required to return to prison or detention for a further period in respect of the offence.
§ (7) Subject to sub-paragraph (8), the reference in subparagraph (3) to a sentence of imprisonment or detention does not include a suspended sentence.
§ (8) Sub-paragraph (7) does not apply in relation to a suspended sentence that has been ordered to take effect.
§ (9) In this paragraph "suspended sentence" means a sentence of imprisonment or detention that is ordered not to take effect unless the conditions specified in the order are met.