Northern Ireland law

Northern Ireland law refers to the legal system of statute and common law operating in Northern Ireland since the partition of Ireland established Northern Ireland as a separate jurisdiction within the United Kingdom in 1921.

Background

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For the purposes of private international law the United Kingdom is divided into three distinct legal jurisdictions:

• English law in England and Wales;
• Northern Ireland law in Northern Ireland;
• Scots law in Scotland.

Northern Ireland is a common law jurisdiction. Although its common law is similar to that in England and Wales, and partially derives from the same sources, there are some important differences in law and procedure between Northern Ireland and England and Wales.

The current statute law of Northern Ireland comprises those Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that apply to Northern Ireland and Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly , as well as statutory instruments made by departments of the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government. Also remaining on the statute books are many Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland passed between 1921 and 1972, certain Acts of the Parliament of Ireland made before the Act of Union 1800, and Acts of the Parliament of England, and of the Parliament of Great Britain, extended to Ireland under Poynings' Law between 1494 and 1782.

Criminal law

Criminal offences

Offences against the person

• Child destruction^[1]

Fatal offences

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Sexual Offences

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Non-fatal non-sexual offences

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Offences against property

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Firearms and offensive weapons

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Forgery, personation and cheating

See forgery: See personation: See cheating:

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Offences against the State or Crown or Government and political offences

• High treason
• Misprision of treason
• Compounding treason
• Treason felony
• Attempting to injure or alarm the Sovereign, contrary to section 2 of the Treason Act 1842
• Offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989
• Offences under the Incitement to Disaffection Act 1934
• Causing disaffection, contrary to section 68 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998
• Incitement to sedition or disaffection or promoting industrial unrest, contrary to section 3 of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919
• Offences relating to terrorism
• Offences under section 1 of the Unlawful Drilling Act 1819
• Piracy iure gentium
• Piracy with violence, contrary to the Piracy Act 1837
• Offences under the Slave Trade Act 1824
• Offences under the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870
• Offences under the Immigration Act 1971
• Coinage offences under Part II of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
• Offences relating to public stores under the Public Stores Act 1875
• Offences against postal and electronic communication services
• Misconduct in public office
• Refusal to execute public office
• Offences of selling public offices under the Sale of Offices Act 1551 and Sale of Offices Act 1809 (see section 1 thereof)
• Cheating the public revenue
• Offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979
• Tax evasion and money laundering offences

Abolished offences

• Sedition
• Seditious libel

Harmful or dangerous drugs

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Offences against religion and public worship

• Blasphemy
• Blasphemous libel

Offences against the administration of public justice

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Public order offences

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Offences against public morals and public policy

• Bigamy^[2]

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Protection of children and vulnerable adults

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Protection of animals and the environment

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Road traffic and motor vehicle offences

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Participatory offences

Participatory offences include aiding, abetting, counseling, or procuring the act of some crime or conspiracy. It also includes being an accomplice to criminal behavior.

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Defences to crime

• marital coercion

See also

This "see also" section may contain an excessive number of suggestions. Please ensure that only the most relevant suggestions are given and that they are not red links, and consider integrating suggestions into the article itself. (November 2010)

Legislatures

• Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Northern Ireland Assembly (current)
• Northern Ireland Assembly (1973–1974) (legislative power in 1974 only)
• Parliament of Northern Ireland (1921–1973) (prorogued 1972-73)

Legal system

• Courts of Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service
• Attorney General for Northern Ireland
• Advocate General for Northern Ireland
• Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland

Policing

• Police Service of Northern Ireland
• Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland Policing Board

Legislation

• Northern Ireland legislation
• List of Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland
• List of Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
• List of statutory rules of Northern Ireland
• List of Orders in Council for Northern Ireland

Other

• Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)

Further reading

• Britain's Legal Systems, Central Office of Information, 1997, ISBN 0-11-701713-2
• Criminal Justice Systems in Europe, Bo Svensson, 1995, ISBN 91-38-30482-1
• Law and State: The Case of Northern Ireland, Kevin Boyle, Tom Hadden and Paddy Hillyard, 1975
• The Legal System of Northern Ireland, Brice Dickson, (5th edition) 2005, Belfast: SLS Legal Publications, ISBN 0-85389-884-7

External links

• The judicial system in Northern Ireland, by Directgov
• PDF - Northern Ireland law - Law Library Guide, Queen's University, Belfast
• British and Irish Legal Information Institute
• legal-island.com
• Law Centre (NI)