| Date | Title | Summary | Status | Attachments |
| 09 Dec 2011 | Consultation on proposals to close Hearing Centres at Bangor, Larne, Limavady, Magherafelt and Strabane courthouses | This consultation paper seeks views on proposals for the permanent closure of the five Hearing Centres and for the transfer of court business from Hearing Centres to alternative venues. You can view more information on this consultation including links to the documents here. | Closing date for consultation: 2nd March 2012 |   |
| 09 Dec 2011 | Hearing Centres Consultation - Youth Version | This consultation paper seeks views from young people on proposals for the permanent closure of the five Hearing Centres and for the transfer of court business from Hearing Centres to alternative venues. | Closing date for consultation: 2nd March 2012 | |
| 17 Oct 2011 | Magistrates' Courts Rules Committee on costs in criminal cases (magistrates' courts) | In this consultation paper, the Magistrates’ Courts Rules Committee seeks views on proposals to amend magistrates’ courts rules. | Consultation closed on: 6th January 2012 | |
| 13 Sep 2011 | Access to Justice Review Northern Ireland - The Report | This document constitutes the final report of the team appointed in September 2010 by the Minister of Justice, David Ford MLA, to conduct a review of access to justice in Northern Ireland. | Consultation closed on 13th December 2011 | |
| 02 Sep 2011 | Lord Chief Justice’s Priority Sentencing List - Summary of Responses | This document details the responses received for the consultation issued by the Lord Chief Justice : Priority list of areas for sentencing guidelines. | Consultation response | |
| 04 Aug 2011 | County Court Rules Committee Consultative Document on Scale Costs - Corrective letter and appendices | This is a corrective letter and appendices in relation to the County Court Rules Committee Consultative Document on Scale Costs. The Committee has identified calculation errors in Appendix 4 of the consultative document which also appear in Appendix 2 of the Initial Integrated Impact Assessment | Consultation closed on 30 September 2011 | |
| 07 Jul 2011 | County Court Rules Committee Consultative Document on Scale Costs | This consultation paper seeks views on proposals of the Rules Committee to insert additional bands into the existing county court scale costs to specify the costs which shall be applicable to proceedings which fall within the proposed new jurisdictional limit of 30,000 pounds.The paper also seeks views on the proposal to increase existing scales in line with inflation. | Consultation closed on 30 September 2011 | |
| 17 May 2011 | Public Consultation - Practice Note: McKenzie Friends (Civil and Family Courts) | A draft Northern Ireland Practice Note has been drafted and is now open for consultation.It sets out the existing law in Northern Ireland and largely follows the English model, but takes into account the main Northern Ireland case law and relevant rules of court. | Consultation closed on 30 June 2011 | |
| 03 Feb 2011 | Equality Impact Assessment for a Proposed Justice Bill (NI) 2010 | | |  |
| 21 Jan 2011 | Provision of In-Court Interpretation Services: Summary of responses and proposed way forward | This documentation is the post-consultation report on the consultation paper "Provision of In-Court Interpretation Services" | Consultation response | |
| 20 Dec 2010 | Increasing the Jurisdictional Limits of the County Courts in Northern Ireland - Summary of responses and proposed way forward | This documentation is the post-consultation report on the consultation paper "Increasing the Jurisdictional Limits of the County Courts in Northern Ireland". | Consultation response | |
| 09 Dec 2010 | Remuneration of Defence Representation in the Crown Court Screening Document | Screening document in relation to Remuneration of Defence Representation in the Crown Court Consultation | Live | |
| 04 Oct 2010 | Priority list of areas for sentencing guidelines | The Lord Chief Justice set out in a speech on 6 September that he has been considering how the system by which judges are provided with guidance and information on sentencing could be enhanced. Part of this is to provide more guidance where it is needed.This consultation invites you to highlight any areas of sentencing which you would like the judicial Sentencing Working Group to consider for inclusion in a priority list of areas in which it is considered the courts should issue new or additional sentencing guidelines or guidance. | Consultation closed on: Monday 20th December 2010 | |
| 01 Oct 2010 | Consultation on proposal to allow the Public Prosecution Service to issue summonses - Summary of responses and way forward | The consultation on the proposal to allow the Public Prosecution Service to issue summonses consulted whether it should be possible for a Public Prosecution Service ("PPS") prosecutor to issue a summons to a defendant without recourse to a Lay Magistrate. This document provides a summary of responses received and proposed way forward. | Consultation response | |
| 01 Oct 2010 | Proposal to Revise the Means Test for Criminal Legal Aid in Northern Ireland - A Consultation Response Document | This document is a consultation response document in respect of a consultation on a proposal to revise the means test for Criminal Legal Aid in Northern Ireland. | Consultation response | |
| 01 Oct 2010 | "Redrawing the map" - a consultation on court boundaries in Northern Ireland. Summary of responses and proposed way forward | This documentation is the post-consultation report on the consultation paper "Redrawing the Map"- A Consultation on Court Boundaries in Northern Ireland. | Consultation response | |
| 24 Sep 2010 | Consultation on Section 75 Equality Impact Assessment of the Proposals on new Rules on Remuneration of Defence Representation in the Crown Court | The purpose of this document is to seek views from interested parties on the implications of the proposed new Legal Aid remuneration arrangements for defence representation in the Crown Court with regard to the equality of opportunity for all groups specified under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. | Consultation closed on: Friday 19th November 2010 | |
| 24 Sep 2010 | Consultation on Section 75 Equality Impact Assessment of the Proposals on Reform of legal representation provided by way of criminal legal aid at the Crown Court | The purpose of this document is to seek views from interested parties on the implications of the proposed reform of legal representation provided by way of criminal legal aid at the Crown Court with regard to the equality of opportunity for all categories specified under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This document provides an overview of the purpose and content of the proposals. | Consultation closed on: Friday 19th November 2010 | |
| 24 Sep 2010 | Remuneration of Defence Representation in the Crown Court Consultation document | The purpose of this document is to obtain the views of consultees on the proposed schemes for remuneration of defence representation in the Crown Court. | Consultation closed on: Friday 19th November 2010 | |
| 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. | Consultation closed: 26 May 2010 | |
| 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 | 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 | 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 theCourt Service will arrange and meet the costs of supplying interpretersfor proceedings before a range of courts and tribunals in NorthernIreland. In addition the document provides guidance in relation to therequired 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 consultationpaper Widening the Jury Pool: Increasing Participation in theCriminal 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 | |
