Courts of Northern Ireland

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In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Image:Politicsofnorthernirelandlogo.svg This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Assembly List of Acts Members: 1998 - 2003 - 2007 Elections: 1998 - 2003 - 2007 Speaker Northern Ireland Executive First Minister: Ian Paisley Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness Departments and agencies Local Government Courts of Northern Ireland
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Parliament Committees: Affairs - Grand Members: Commons - Lords Elections: 2005 United Kingdom Government Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State • Direct Rule
Organisations
British-Irish Council Electoral Commission North/South Ministerial Council
See also
Belfast Agreement (1998) St Andrews Agreement (2006) Segregation in Northern Ireland Elections in Northern Ireland Constituencies Political parties
Other countries · Atlas Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The Courts of Northern Ireland are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland; they are constituted and governed by Northern Ireland law.

The United Kingdom does not have a single unified judicial system — England and Wales have one system, Scotland another, and Northern Ireland a third. There are exceptions to this rule, for example in immigration law, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal's jurisdiction covers the whole of the United Kingdom, while in employment law there is a single system of Employment Tribunals for England, Wales, and Scotland (but not Northern Ireland).

In order to overcome problems resulting from the intimidation of jurors and witnesses, the right to a jury trial in Northern Ireland was suspended for certain terrorist offences in 1972, and the so-called "Diplock courts" were introduced to try people charged with paramilitary activities.

Administration of the Courts is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Court Service.

1 House of Lords
2 Court of Appeal
3 High Court
4 Subordinate courts
5 External links

[edit] House of Lords

The House of Lords is the highest court of appeal in Northern Ireland. In practice, only the Law Lords hear the appeals. It was abolished by the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873, but an election was held before the act came into force, and the new Parliament passed the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1875 which amended the first Act to preserve the House of Lords' judicial function. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 will transfer these functions to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

[edit] Court of Appeal

The next highest Court is the Court of Appeal which hears appeals from the Crown Court, High Court, county courts, courts of summary jurisdiction and tribunals.

[edit] High Court

The High Court of Northern Ireland is, like its English equivalent, split into three divisions: Queen's Bench Division, Family Division and Chancery Division. The High Court is located in the Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast.

[edit] Subordinate courts

Below the High Court are several classes of courts. Magistrates' Courts (including Youth Courts and Family Proceedings Courts) hear less serious criminal cases and conduct preliminary hearings in |more serious criminal cases. They are divided into 21 Petty Sessions Districts. The Crown Court hears all serious criminal cases which are committed to trial. The County Courts (including Small Claims Court, and Family Care Centres) hear a wide range of civil actions, consumer claims, and appeals from magistrate's courts. There are 7 divisions of county court in Northern Ireland. Additionally, there is the Enforcement of Judgments Office, and Coroners' Courts which investigate the circumstances of sudden, violent or unnatural deaths.