Northern Ireland law

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

Background

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 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 Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliament that apply to Northern Ireland and acts of the devolved 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 Irish Parliament made before the Act of Union 1800, and Acts of the English Parliament and British Parliament extended to Ireland under Poynings' Law between 1494 and 1782.

Criminal law

Criminal offences

Offences against the person

Main article: Offence against the person

• Child destruction^[1]

Fatal offences

Main articles: Murder and Manslaughter

Sexual Offences

Main article: Sexual offences in the United Kingdom

See also: Rape and Sexual abuse

Non-fatal non-sexual offences

See also: Assault, Battery (crime), Common assault, Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and Grievous bodily harm

Offences against property

Main article: Property crime

See also: Burglary

Firearms and offensive weapons

Forgery, personation and cheating

See forgery: See personation: See cheating:

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

Offences against religion and public worship

• Blasphemy
• Blasphemous libel

Offences against the administration of public justice

Public order offences

Offences against public morals and public policy

• Bigamy^[2]

Protection of children and vulnerable adults

Protection of animals and the environment

Road traffic and motor vehicle offences

Participatory offences

See also: Accomplice, Aid and abet, and Inchoate offenses

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

Defences to crime

• marital coercion

See also

Legislatures

• UK Parliament
• 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

Laws

• List of Acts of the Northern Ireland Parliament
• 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

1. ^ Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice lists child destruction as an offence against the person
2. ^ Again this is the label adopted by Archbold

Further reading

• Britain's Legal Systems, Central Office of Information, 1997, ISBN 0117017132
• Criminal Justice Systems in Europe, Bo Svensson, 1995, ISBN 9138304821
• 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 0853898847

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)