Inside the Courts
Video Transcript - Inside the Courts
The Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2015 created a single jurisdiction, meaning any Lay Magistrate can sit anywhere in Northern Ireland. However, each Lay Magistrate is still appointed to a specific Administrative Court Division (ACD).
Administrative Court Divisions (ACDs)
There are three ACDs in Northern Ireland: South‑Eastern, North‑Eastern and Western.
Within each ACD, Lay Magistrates are further assigned to a County Court Division. Each County Court Division has a Local Liaison Officer who serves as the main point of contact for its Lay Magistrates.
Family Proceedings and Youth Courts
Lay Magistrates sit within two courts, The Family Proceedings Court and the Youth Court:
Family Proceedings Court
The Family Proceedings Court is chaired by a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) sitting with two Lay Magistrates.
Most Family Proceedings cases are decided in the Family Proceedings Court. Initial applications are heard by a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) sitting with two Lay Magistrates.
The Family Proceedings Court primarily deals with Children Order applications, including issues such as where a child lives, contact arrangements, and domestic abuse protection orders. It acts as the first stage for most family cases, with more complex matters being transferred to higher courts where necessary. The court handles sensitive issues relating to children’s welfare, safeguarding and domestic violence, and proceedings are conducted confidentially.
Youth Court
The Youth Court is a criminal court chaired by a District Judge (Magistrates’ Courts) sitting alongside two Lay Magistrates.
In Northern Ireland, the system for dealing with children and young people aged 10 to 17 who offend is entirely separate from the adult criminal justice system. These cases are heard in the Youth Court. It hears almost all criminal charges brought against children up to and including 17 years of age. All three members of the court contribute equally to the decision‑making process.
The youth justice system aims to prevent offending and re‑offending by working with young people, their parents and carers, and by supporting victims of crime to help them understand and cope with what has happened.
Within each Administrative Court Division, the Family Proceedings Courts and Youth Courts are located as follows:
Northern Ireland Courthouses
Below is a list of the different courthouses in each ACD:
South-Eastern ACD
Armagh (YC only)
Craigavon (FPC and YC)
Downpatrick (YC only)
Lisburn (FPC and YC)
Newry (FPC and YC)
Newtownards (FPC and YC)
North-Eastern ACD
Belfast (FPC and YC)
Antrim (YC only)
Ballymena (FPC and YC)
Coleraine (YC only)
Limavady (currently sitting in Coleraine)
Western ACD
Dungannon (FPC and YC)
Enniskillen (YC only)
Londonderry (FPC and YC)
Magherafelt (YC) (currently sitting in Derry/Londonderry)
Omagh (YC only)
Strabane (YC only)
Further Information
The Youth Court - https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/articles/youth-court (DOJ)
The Family Courts - https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/going-court/family-courts and https://www.ulster.ac.uk/familycourtinfo/going-to-court/about-family-courts (University of Ulster)