From 1 April 2026, fees charged in Northern Ireland’s magistrates’ courts will increase by 5%, with further uplifts of 2% scheduled for 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2028. The Department of Justice has framed the changes as part of a multi‑year adjustment to keep pace with costs while preserving access to justice. (northernireland.gov.uk)
The Order also confirms a £0 fee for applications under section 3A(2) or (6) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992. These provisions-inserted in Northern Ireland by the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022-allow an interested party to ask a magistrates’ court to disapply, modify, vary or revoke post‑death anonymity for a victim or complainant. (northernireland.gov.uk)
In parallel, a specific fee is prescribed for Family Law Act 1986 applications seeking disclosure of a child’s whereabouts (section 33) or recovery of a child (section 34). The Department’s consultation indicates this fee is aligned with existing Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 application rates at the magistrates’ courts, providing a clear charging basis for these routes. (northernireland.gov.uk)
For context, commonly used fees currently include £155 for a general application to a magistrates’ court and £77 for core Children Order applications, with service‑of‑summons fees at £16 (standard) and £21 (personal). The percentage uplifts will be applied to the updated fee tables issued by the Department. (justice-ni.gov.uk)
The Department’s Regulatory Impact Assessment projects that the programme will raise additional recurring income of around £2.3m per year by 2028–29, against a cost‑recovery position that fell to 78% in 2023–24. Officials assess a direct business impact of about £0.5m per year, with overall court‑user costs still a small share of typical case outlays. (northernireland.gov.uk)
Help with Fees arrangements remain in place. Individuals on low incomes or in receipt of specified means‑tested benefits can obtain a full or partial remission, and domestic abuse‑related applications continue to attract £0 fees in line with established policy. Practitioners should signpost clients to the Department’s guidance and apply remissions where eligible. (northernireland.gov.uk)
Operationally, firms should assume the new rates for any applications lodged on or after 1 April 2026 and budget for the further 2% uplifts in April 2027 and April 2028. Family practitioners should note the codified fee for 1986 Act disclosure and recovery applications, while media and other applicants considering post‑death anonymity issues should be aware that s3A applications attract no court fee. (northernireland.gov.uk)
These changes follow a formal consultation by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, which proposed the phased uplifts and clarified the approach to exemptions. Supporting documents-including the consultation paper, impact assessments and current fee schedules-are available on official government sites. (northernireland.gov.uk)