The Court of Judicature Fees (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

Made: 3rd March 2026

Coming into operation: 1st April 2026

The Department has, in accordance with section 116(1) of that Act, consulted with the Lady Chief Justice.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Court of Judicature Fees (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2026.

• (2) In this Order—

• “the Aarhus Convention” means the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environment Matters done at Aarhus on 25th June 1998.

Amendment of the Court of Judicature Fees Order (Northern Ireland) 1996

2

The Court of Judicature Fees Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 is amended as follows.

3

For sections 1 to 6 of the Schedule substitute the new sections set out in the Schedule to this Order.

Saving Provision

4

The 1996 Order as it applied immediately before Article 2 of this Order came into operation, continues to apply to a judicial review or review under any statutory provision of a decision, act or omission which is subject to the provisions of the Aarhus Convention.

SCHEDULE

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Justice on 3rd March 2026

Naomi Long — Minister of Justice

The Department of Finance concurs in the making of this Order.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 3rd March 2026

John O’Dowd — Minister of Finance

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order amends the Court of Judicature Fees Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R.1996 No. 100) to increase the majority of fees payable in the Court of Judicature over a three-year period (5% increase effective from 1st April 2026, 2% increase effective from 1st April 2027 with a further 2% increase effective from 1st April 2028).

The Supreme Court Fees Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 has been renamed the Court of Judicature Fees Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 as a consequence of the renaming of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland by virtue of section 59 and paragraph 6 of Schedule 11 to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4).

An Explanatory Memorandum and a Regulatory Impact Assessment have been produced and are available from the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, Laganside House, 23-27 Oxford Street, Belfast BT1 3LA or online alongside this Statutory Rule at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1978 c. 23as amended by Article15(1) and paragraph 6(h) of Schedule 17 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No. 976); and section 59 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016 c. 21 (N.I.))

[^f00002]: Article 15(4)(b) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Function) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010 No. 976).

[^f00003]: Formerly the Department of Finance and Personnel, see the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016 c.5 (N.I.)), section 1(4) and Schedule 1.

Editorial notes

[^key-e33899696f1405ecf3ee54275c7cb0c1]: Art. 1 in operation at 1.4.2026, see art. 1(1)

[^key-e57469c0db96260853e2a306fc0fa9b3]: Art. 2 in operation at 1.4.2026, see art. 1(1)

[^key-79ada1183a6e0acddcd5080785c44529]: Art. 3 in operation at 1.4.2026, see art. 1(1)

[^key-70b2666bb875d5d3f242f5a03c7d130c]: Art. 4 in operation at 1.4.2026, see art. 1(1)

[^key-5278cc60e79236b2703df6b6c87c9bec]: Sch. in operation at 1.4.2026, see art. 1(1)