Northern Ireland
The justice system of Northern Ireland
The third legal system of the United Kingdom, with its own police service, its own prosecuting authority, its own courts and its own prison service.
Facts verified:
This is a static reference page, not a live feed — check anything you intend to act on with the official source.
Northern Ireland is one of the three legal systems of the United Kingdom. Its police, prosecution, courts and prisons are its own, and the statutes that constitute them are shown as extending to Northern Ireland (N.I.) rather than to the United Kingdom as a whole.
Prosecution is conducted by the Public Prosecution Service, which describes itself as the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland. Courts and tribunals are administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service under the Department of Justice.
Sources
Sources
The National Archives (United Kingdom) · Legislation · link verified 2026-09-18
SCOPE: the general duty of police officers in Northern Ireland. The official consolidated text, read directly. Supports that it shall be the general duty of police officers to protect life and property, to preserve order, to prevent the commission of offences, and where an offence has been committed to take measures to bring the offender to justice. The section is shown as extending to Northern Ireland (N.I.). It establishes nothing about the governance of the police service, which is in other provisions not read here.
About the PPS — Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland
Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland · Government publication · link verified 2026-09-18
SCOPE: the PPS's own account of itself. The service's about page, read directly. Supports that the PPS is the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland; that it makes prosecution decisions in cases investigated by the police there and considers cases investigated by other statutory authorities such as HM Revenue and Customs; that it is led by the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland; that the Deputy Director has the same powers as the Director but exercises them subject to the Director's direction and control; and that both posts are public appointments made by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland. The current office-holders are named on the page and are NOT republished here.
Courts and Tribunals — Department of Justice (Northern Ireland)
Department of Justice (Northern Ireland) · Government publication · link verified 2026-09-18
SCOPE: that courts and tribunals in Northern Ireland are administered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service under the Department of Justice. The department's own topic page, read directly. It is an administrative overview: it establishes who runs the courts and what a member of the public can do there, and it establishes nothing about the court hierarchy, jurisdiction or appeal routes, none of which is claimed here.