Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service in United Kingdom

Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service in North Ireland

The Northern Ireland Court Service (the Court Service) was established in 1979, by the Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978, as a separate civil service in Northern Ireland. It was the Lord Chancellor’s department in Northern Ireland.

Upon devolution (12 April 2010) it was re-branded the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) when it became an agency of the Department of Justice.

Its role is to:

Provide administrative support for the Northern Ireland courts and Judiciary;

Enforce civil court judgments through a centralised enforcement service provided by the Enforcement of Judgments Office;

Support the Minister of Justice in discharging his ministerial responsibilities in Northern Ireland, including responsibility for judicial appointments and legal aid; and

Provide administrative support for Tribunals.

Additional information can be found on the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service website.