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Northern Ireland Case Law

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Criminal law [2026] NIMag 1

Director of Public Prosecutions v Johnston

Director of Public Prosecutions v Johnston [2026] NIMag 1 (07 May 2026)

The magistrates’ court found Mr Johnston guilty of offences under Northern Ireland’s safe access zones law after he preached in a hospital zone and refused to leave when directed by police.

  • Abortion services
  • Safe access zones
  • Freedom of expression
  • Freedom of religion
  • Public order offences
  • Legislative competence
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Criminal law [2026] NICA 15

Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland v Brown

Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland v Brown [2026] NICA 15 (14 April 2026)

The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland considered whether a late transmission of a case stated under Article 61(3) barred the appeal or could be excused.

  • Public order offences
  • Freedom of expression
  • Statutory time limits
  • Proportionality
  • Jurisdiction
  • Case stated procedure
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Civil procedure [2025] NICA 68

Cavan v Bunting

Cavan v Bunting [2025] NICA 68 (19 December 2025)

The Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland upheld an injunction against conduct found to be harassment, holding that targeted social media posts crossed the line of lawful protest.

  • Harassment
  • Freedom of expression
  • Injunctions
  • Contempt of court
  • Proportionality
  • Protection from harassment (northern ireland) 1997
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Defamation [2025] NIKB 60

Macnaughton Blair Ltd & Ors v Edgar

Macnaughton Blair Ltd & Ors v Edgar [2025] NIKB 60 (24 October 2025)

The High Court struck out a defendant’s defamation defences as an abuse of process after prior tribunal and appeal decisions, and granted summary disposal of the defamation claim.

  • Defamation/libel
  • Breach of confidence
  • Breach of undertaking
  • Breach of copyright
  • Breach of trademark
  • Issue estoppel
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Privacy law [2021] NIQB 128

FB1 v Facebook Ireland Ltd

FB1 v Facebook Ireland Ltd [2021] NIQB 128 (14 January 2021)

The court refused to extend interim privacy injunctions over Facebook posts about the plaintiff’s conviction, finding no reasonable expectation of privacy.

  • Misuse of private information
  • Reasonable expectation of privacy
  • Interim injunctions
  • Anonymity orders
  • Public domain information
  • Duty of candour
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Criminal law [2020] NIQB 55

Fine Point Films & Anor, Re Judicial Review

Fine Point Films & Anor, Re Judicial Review [2020] NIQB 55 (10 July 2020)

The court quashed search warrants used to obtain journalistic material, holding the ex parte process was unfair and no overriding public interest justified the intrusion.

  • Search warrants
  • Journalistic privilege
  • Freedom of expression
  • Protection of sources
  • Search-warrants
  • Journalistic-privilege
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Local government law [2019] NIQB 36

Bunting, Re Leave to Appeal under Section 60(9) of The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 Part IX

Bunting, Re Leave to Appeal under Section 60(9) of The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 Part IX [2019] NIQB 36 (29 March 2019)

The High Court upheld a four-month interim suspension of Councillor Jolene Bunting, finding prima facie Code breaches and no Article 10 barrier.

  • Code of conduct for councillors
  • Interim suspension
  • Freedom of expression
  • Equality and anti-discrimination
  • Sanctions for misconduct
  • Local-government-law
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Criminal law [2019] NICC 3

McCrory & Ors, Re

McCrory & Ors, Re [2019] NICC 3 (06 February 2019)

The Crown Court refused a defence application to compel journalists and a newspaper to disclose documents, recordings, and confidential sources in a criminal case.

  • Third party disclosure
  • Journalistic source protection
  • Disclosure obligations
  • Fair trial rights
  • Freedom of expression
  • Contempt of court
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Media law [2018] NIQB 41

BNC v The Irish News Ltd

BNC v The Irish News Ltd [2018] NIQB 41 (28 February 2018)

The court refused an interim injunction and anonymity order over publication of the plaintiff’s Facebook image, finding the defendant’s Article 10 rights prevailed.

  • Misuse of private information
  • Interim injunctions
  • Anonymity orders
  • Copyright infringement
  • Data protection
  • Freedom of expression
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Defamation [2018] NIQB 6

McGuckin v Sunday Newspapers Ltd

McGuckin v Sunday Newspapers Ltd [2018] NIQB 6 (27 January 2018)

The High Court in Northern Ireland granted a seven-day interim injunction restraining publication of a newspaper article, pending fuller evidence and argument.

  • Libel
  • Misuse of private information
  • Breach of privacy
  • Interlocutory injunction
  • Freedom of expression
  • Defamation
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Northern Ireland decisions are organised by court, judge, legal area and indexed issue so a practitioner can move from a proposition to a citable authority with the surrounding context intact.