Northern Ireland Official Publications Archive

Criminal Justice Inspectorate

The Criminal Justice Inspectorate is an independent statutory inspectorate with responsibility for inspecting all aspects of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland apart from the judiciary.

Forensic Science Northern Ireland

Forensic Science Northern Ireland is an Agency within the Department of Justice and is responsible for the provision of impartial scientific advice and support, to enhance the Criminal Justice System.

Independent Monitoring Board for Northern Ireland

The Independent Monitoring Board has the responsibility to observe all aspects of the prison regime.

Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland

The Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland (LSANI) is an agency of the Department of Justice. LSANI was established under the Legal Aid and Coroners' Courts Act (NI) 2014 to administer the provision of publicly-funded legal aid.

Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service

The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service is an Agency within the Department of Justice. The Court of Judicature for Northern Ireland, county courts, magistrates’ courts, coroners’ courts and certain tribunals are all administered by the Courts and Tribunals Service.

Northern Ireland Law Commission

The Northern Ireland Law Commission (the Commission) was established in 2007 following the recommendations of the Criminal Justice Review Group. Established under the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 (as amended by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010, their main task has been to review areas of the law and to make recommendations for reform. The Commission has been inactive since April 2015.

Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission

Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission ceased in 2015. It was replaced by the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Police Fund

Initially the Fund was a Company Limited by Guarantee but in 2016 this was changed to a Statutory Body of the Department of Justice under the Northern Ireland Police Fund Regulations 2016. The Fund is classed as an Executive Non-Departmental Body

Northern Ireland Policing Board

The Policing Board is an independent public body made up of 19 political and independent members established to ensure for all the people of Northern Ireland an effective, efficient, impartial, representative and accountable police service which will secure the confidence of the whole community, by reducing crime and the fear of crime.

Northern Ireland Prison Service

The Northern Ireland Prison Service is an executive agency of the Department of Justice and was established as an agency on 1st April 1995.

Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

The Police Ombudsman's Office provides independent, impartial investigation of complaints about the police in Northern Ireland.

Organised Crime Task Force

The Organised Crime Task Force was established in 2000 to provide a multi-agency partnership approach to tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland. The Organised Crime Task Force brings together police, customs and other law enforcement agencies, along with government departments, the policing board and the local business community to combat organised crime.

Parole Commissioners for Northern Ireland

The Parole Commissioners are an independent body who make decisions on the release and recall of all life sentence and public protection sentence prisoners in Northern Ireland. They also make decisions on the recall and further release of determinate custodial sentenced prisoners.

Planning and Water Appeals Commissions

The Planning Appeals Commission is an independent body which deals with a wide range of land use planning issues and related matters. The Water Appeals Commission is a separate body which exercises a wide range of functions in relation to water, fisheries and drainage legislation.

Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust (Northern Ireland)

The Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust (Northern Ireland) is a non departmental pubic body of the Department of Justice. The Police Rehabilitation & Retraining Trust supports police officers in Northern Ireland planning to retire or retired from PSNI or Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC GC)

Police Service of Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which it replaced in 2001.

Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

The Prisoner Ombudsman is appointed by the Minister of Justice for Northern Ireland and is completely independent of the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

Probation Board for Northern Ireland

The Probation Board for Northern Ireland is a non-departmental public body responsible to the Northern Ireland Department of Justice for the probation service in Northern Ireland.

Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland

The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) was established in June 2005 by the commencement of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002. The PPS is the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland.

Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland

Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland was introduced in October 2008 to make more effective the work of police, probation and others to manage risks posed by certain sexual and violent offenders when they are released from prison into the community.

Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation

The Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation (RUCGCF) was formed after reccommendations of the Patten Report. The RUCGCF became an executive non departmental public body of the Department of Justice and in April 2010 the foundation became accountable to the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice.

Youth Justice Agency

The Youth Justice Agency was launched as an executive agency, as recommended in the Criminal Justice Review 2000, on 1 April 2003. It replaced the former Juvenile Justice Board.

Other Publications (Department of Justice)

Consultation papers, briefing documents, inquiries, reports and reviews (non-serial).

Regular Publications (Department of Justice)