The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland

(Hardback)

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Description

The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland has functioned and evolved without interruption for over a century, which is more than can be said for the regrettably unsteady political units of government in the same jurisdiction. Recognising that the Court of Appeal is responsible for correcting lower court decisions and developing the common law in Northern Ireland much more frequently than the highest court in the UK the Supreme Court the overarching purpose of this short book is to underscore the significance of the Court of Appeal as a time-tested intermediate appellate court and to evaluate its performance of the constitutional responsibilities associated with that status.

The intermediate position of the Court of Appeal tends to obscure the importance and (in most cases) the finality of its judgments, in the context of a post-conflict society where the rule of law is required to weather many storms. It is hoped that the analysis contained in the book will demonstrate that the Court of Appeal plays a pivotal role in securing justice and preventing injustice. Through a combination of archival research, statistical and qualitative case analysis, and rare interviews with senior members of the Northern Ireland judiciary, we are confident that this publication will make a significant contribution to the literature on appellate courts. The book will also propose recommendations on how the Court of Appeal could enhance both its efficiency and its reputation, suggestions that will be carefully considered by relevant stakeholders and could thereby have a demonstrable impact on the operation of the Court.

Author Bio

Brice Dickson is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Law at Queens University Belfast. Conor McCormick is Senior Lecturer in the School of Law at Queens University Belfast.