The Department of Justice is responsible for the administration of several Northern Ireland tribunals. In practice, this function is discharged by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) (an executive agency of the Department).
The Department has statutory responsibility for the following tribunals;
- Care Tribunal
- Charity Tribunal
- Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel for Northern Ireland
- Lands Tribunal
- Mental Health Review Tribunal
- Northern Ireland Health and Safety Tribunal
- Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal
- Northern Ireland Valuation Tribunal
- Social Security Commissioners and Child Support Commissioners
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
- Tribunal under Schedule 11 to the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972
It also assumed administrative responsibility for the Appeals Service and the Rent Assessment Panel in April 2010 both of which are managed under a service level agreement with the Department for Communities. It is planned that both will statutorily transfer to the Department as part of the tribunal reform programme.
NICTS also provides administrative support under the terms of a service level agreement to UK wide tribunals sitting in Northern Ireland, including the Tax Chamber, Immigration and Asylum Chamber and, the Information Rights jurisdiction within the General Regulatory Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, and the Administrative Appeals Chamber of the Upper Tribunal.
More information about the work of the tribunals administered by the NICTS, including contact details for each, can be found on the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals service website.