Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service quarterly report published

Date published: 27 February 2026

New accredited official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Justice (DoJ) present provisional figures on court and tribunal business in Northern Ireland for the quarter October to December 2025.

Key findings

• During the quarter, 1,090 Children Order applications were received and 1,096 disposed, with 452 sittings totalling 1,069 hours. 
• A total of 1,318 sitting days were held across the Crown and County Court, split between criminal and civil and family business. Small claims received in the County Court rose 18% to 1,906, compared with 1,619 in the same quarter in 2024. 
• The Crown Court recorded 464 cases and 517 defendants received, and 407 cases and 489 defendants disposed. Note: figures were affected by a criminal barristers' dispute over legal aid during the period.
• There were 545 High Court sitting days. The highest proportion of these was spent on Bails business (20%). High Court writs and originating summonses received increased by 12% to 1,345, compared with 1,202 in the same quarter in 2024. Grants issued by the Probate Office rose 9% to 2,031, and applications for leave to apply for Judicial Review increased by 34% to 79.
• At Magistrates' Courts, 8,029 adult defendants were received during the quarter, a 13% decrease compared with the same period in 2024 (9,191). There were also 255 youth defendants and 836 civil and family applications received.

About this publication

This report provides an overview of Children Order and County, Crown, High and Magistrates’ Courts business during October to December 2025 and how it compares with the comparative figures for the same quarter in the previous year.

Further information

View the full report, data tables and background information: NICTS Business Data | Department of Justice