Northern Ireland

Department of Justice and Equality

Website of the Irish Department of Justice and Equality. The site provides information about relevant legislation and law reform work, including the criminal law codification initiative. There are also outlines of Irish law and policy on a range of topics covered by the Department; the Courts Policy page includes information about legal aid. The Publications section of the site provides annual reports, policy reports, bills, legislation and other materials. Statistics, a collection of official forms and information about consultations are also available.

Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment

Website of the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). This regulatory organisation, set up in 1994, provides advice on and support on what is taught in schools and colleges in Northern Ireland and how it is assessed. The CCEA website contains information about the work of the organisation covering assessment of pupils at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 and accreditation and information on the exams offered including GCSE’s. A-level’s, BTECs and Key Skills.

Billy Wright Inquiry

Website for the Billy Wright Inquiry. William Stephen (Billy) Wright was murdered at the Maze prison, Northern Ireland on 27 December 1997. This site gives access to the full text online version of the report along with related documentation.

Northern Ireland Executive

The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The website includes links to local councils and other Northern Ireland bodies. Other sections of the site give information on the programme for government, the Budget, ministers and their departments, the ministerial code, publications and consultations. There is also news, historical information and background to the organisation.

Planning Appeals Commission

Official website of the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) of Northern Ireland. This independent appeals body hears appeals made against planning decisions taken by a number of government departments including the Department of the Environment (DoE), Department for Regional Development (DRD), Department for Social Development (DSD), Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM). The website gives full details of the functions of the PAC and information on how to appeal.

Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

This is the official website of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. who investigates complaints of misconduct, inefficiency and corruption made by the public and police concerning the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The website provides access to information on the role of the Ombudsman and his/her current activities. It includes the text of relevant police legislation and statutory instruments, recent press releases, annual reports and research reports on specific investigations conducted by the body.

Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland established in 2005 by the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002. The PPS makes the decisions on whether to prosecute cases which have been investigated by the police in Northern Ireland and by other statutory authorities such as HM Revenue and Customs. As well as information about the PPS the site has a code for prosecutors, corporate information and business plans, equality and diversity policies and information for victims of crime.

Northern Ireland Law Commission

The Northern Ireland Law Commission is the body responsible for reviewing and reforming the law in Northern Ireland. The site provides profiles of the Commissioners and organisational information. The full text of the Commission’s Programme of Law Reform is given along with details of current law reform projects and associated documentation. Topics covered include land law, bail reform, vulnerable witnesses in civil proceedings and business tenancies law.

Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Website of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) the regulatory body for the social care workforce in Northern Ireland. The site gives information and news on consultations and projects and on careers, training and registration of social care workers in Northern Ireland. Publications including 'The Code of Practice for Social Care Workers' and the 'Code of Practice for Employers of Social Care Workers' are made freely available on the site.

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