This page provides details of consultation papers issued by, or on behalf of, the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service.
Documents in the Publication's section of the website are provided in a range of formats for customers. Adobe PDF is a the preferred format as customers can download the file keeping the authors intended document structure. You can download and install a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader which is required for opening and viewing pdf files by using this link to go to the Adobe website.
Please click on the relevant title to view the documents. You may also click on the heading of each column to sort by Date, Title, Summary or Status.If you wish to search for a particular publication please type keywords into the Search box on the top right-hand side of the screen. This will search the entire website. Please use this link for more help on searching.
To search for a specific publication click here.
Some of the documents from this section of our website have been archived. If you are not able to find what you are looking for, you should in the first instance check the list of archived Consultation documents, which can be found by using this link. Should you require a copy of any document you see listed in the archived Publications page you can contact the Communications Group by email or by telephone on 028 9041 2385 and our team will happy to provide the same for you.
Documents published on this site before 12 April 2010 are designated as "pre-devolution". Some are of an historical nature and will remain unchanged as they are provided solely for reference.
Information leaflets about how to use Courts and Tribunals services which still carry our old title and logo are in the process of being renamed and re-branded. We would wish to make clear that the material they contain is still valid. We thank you for your co-operation during this updating process.
| Date | Title | Summary | Status |
| 03 Mar 2010 | Increasing the Jurisdictional Limit of the County Courts in Northern Ireland | This consultation paper seeks views on proposals to increase the financial limit of the civil jurisdiction of the county courts in Northern Ireland. | Live |
| 01 Mar 2010 | Provision to allow the Public Prosecution Service to commence proceedings without recourse to a lay magistrate | This consultation paper proposes a change to the way in which some proceedings in the magistrates courts in Northern Ireland are begun. The reform is intended to modernise and simplify the procedure, in order to help address avoidable delay in the criminal justice system. The final date for responses is 28 May 2010. | Live |
| 01 Mar 2010 | A Proposal to Revise the Means Test for Criminal Legal Aid in Northern Ireland | This consultation document seeks views on a proposal to set a prescribed financial eligibility limit for criminal legal aid. The final date for response is 28 May 2010. | Live |
| 01 Mar 2010 | Redrawing the Map: A Consultation on Court Boundaries in Northern Ireland | The consultation paper seeks views on proposals to move away from the current statutory framework of rigid court boundaries for County Courts and Magistrates Courts in Northern Ireland, and introduce a single jurisdiction underpinned by more flexible administrative arrangements. The final date for response is 28 May 2010. | Live |
| 09 Feb 2010 | Consultation Paper: Provision of In-Court Interpretation Services | The purpose of this policy is to define the circumstances in which the
Court Service will arrange and meet the costs of supplying interpreters
for proceedings before a range of courts and tribunals in Northern
Ireland. In addition the document provides guidance in relation to the
required quality and competency of interpreters. | Live |
| 20 Jan 2010 | Widening the Jury Pool - Summary of Responses | This document is the summary of responses to the consultation
paper Widening the Jury Pool: Increasing Participation in the
Criminal Justice System. | Live |
| 30 Sep 2009 | Reform of legal representation provided by way of criminal legal aid at the Crown Court Consultation. | The purpose of this consultation document is to seek views on the proposal to regulate the circumstances in which two counsel could be assigned to defendants being prosecuted at the Crown Court. | |
| 07 Sep 2009 | Graduated Fee Schemes Consultation | The purpose of this consultation is to obtain the views of consultees on the introduction of graduated fee schemes to replace the standard fee schemes in the 2005 Rules. | Live |
| 06 Jul 2009 | Summary Response on the Court Hearing Centre Consultation. | A consultation paper "Proposals for Court Hearing Centres at Bangor, Larne, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane" was published on 12 January 2009. The period of consultation closed on 3 April 2009 and in total the Northern Ireland Court Service received 17 responses. In addition we held a public meeting at each of the proposed Hearing Centre venues.
The Northern Ireland Court Service have carefully considered all responses and are satisfied that the Hearing Centres proposals strike an appropriate balance between the provision of quality services and ensuring that public money is used efficiently. Accordingly the Justice Minister Bridget Prentice MP has approved the establishment of Hearing Centres at the existing court venues in Bangor, Larne, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane. | |
| 07 May 2009 | Proposal to increase the use of postal service for summonses in criminal proceedings in the Magistrates Court | This paper seeks views on a proposal to increase the use of postal service for summonses in the magistrates courts. At present, summonses for offences dealt with in the magistrates courts are generally served personally by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), although summonses for a range of less serious offences can be served by post.
It is proposed that it should be possible for a summons to be served on a defendant by first class post for all criminal cases that are to be commenced by summons and which are prosecuted by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI), having been reported for prosecution by the police.
| Live |
| 12 Jan 2009 | Proposals for Court Hearing Centres at Bangor, Larne, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane | This consultation paper seeks views on proposals to establish Hearing Centres at five existing court venues in Northern Ireland by 2009. Hearing Centres will only open on days when a court is sitting at the venue and, on those days, they will provide a full range of court office services. | |
| 29 May 2008 | Widening the Jury Pool - Increasing Participation in the Criminal Justice System | A consultation paper seeking views on proposals to widen the pool of people eligible for jury service in Northern Ireland was issued on 29 May 2008 for a fourteen-week period of public consultation by the Northern Ireland Court Service. | Consultation closed on: 4th September 2008 |
| 03 Nov 2004 | Remunerating Defence Solicitors in Crown Court Cases | A consultation paper setting out the proposals for the remuneration of defence solicitors in Crown Court cases was published on 3 November 2004. | Live |
| 27 May 2004 | Consultation List for Lay Magistrates | A list of groups and individual involved in the consultation exercise for Lay Magistrates | Live |
| 27 May 2004 | Equality Impact Assessment for Lay Magistrates | Lay Magistrates Eligibility Legislation and Policy Equality Impact Assessment | Live |
| 13 Feb 2004 | The Coroners Service of Northern Ireland Proposals for Administrative Redesign | A consultation paper setting out proposals for improving the Coroners Service in Northern Ireland was published today. The Northern Ireland Court Service, which has responsibility for the coroners service in Northern Ireland, is inviting comments on a range of administrative redesign proposals aimed at improving the service provided for bereaved families and other users of the service. | Live |
| 24 Feb 2003 | Communication Strategy | Communication Strategy | Closed |
| 24 Feb 2003 | Outreach Strategy | Outreach Strategy | Live |
| 07 Nov 2002 | Accommodation Strategy - Outcome | Details of the decisions made in respect of the consultation exercise | Live |
| 1 |