1. Key Findings
1.1 About this bulletin
This bulletin presents information on prosecutions and convictions for criminal cases dealt with in the Crown and magistrates’ courts in Northern Ireland for the calendar year 2024, as well as out of court disposals completed within the same period. In 2024, the justice system continued, to some extent, to work through the backlog of cases created by the Covid-19 pandemic. The numbers recorded in this bulletin reflect the impact of measures introduced to assist on that recovery. This bulletin was revised in December 2025, to include a small number of out of court diversionary disposals which had been excluded from the initial data totals.
1.2 Prosecutions and Convictions
The number of prosecutions disposed at Crown Court in 2024 was 1,758, up slightly from 1,727 in 2023. Prosecutions at magistrates’ courts fell by 2.1% during the same period (2023, 29,437; 2024, 28,829).
In 2024, 81.7% (24,981) of prosecutions in all courts resulted in a conviction, down from 83.5% in 2023.
Males accounted for the majority of prosecutions in all courts (79.9%, 24,431).
Defendants aged 30 to 49 accounted for half of prosecutions (51.6%) and convictions (51.4%). Those in the youngest age group, aged 10 – 17 years, (prosecutions, 2.2%; convictions, 2.0%) and oldest, aged 60 and over, (prosecutions, 6.1%; convictions, 5.4%) accounted for the lowest.
Motoring offences made up the largest proportion of prosecutions (43.2%, 13,215) at all courts and drug offences had the highest conviction rate (92.9%, 2,465).
Monetary penalties were the most frequently utilised disposal at all courts in 2024, with 54.6% (13,636) of all convictions having this type of disposal as their primary outcome. While 13.9% (3,474) of cases convicted at all courts resulted in a custodial outcome in 2024, the corresponding figure for Crown Court was 50.3% (765).
1.3 Out of Court Disposals
A total of 345 Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) were issued in 2024.
Of all PNDs issued in 2024, 82.0% were to males and 33.3% to 18 to 24 year olds.
PNDs were issued mainly for offences in the Public Order category (45.8%, 158).
The number of out of court, diversionary disposals recorded against individuals’ criminal records in 2024 was 3,837, a decrease of 5.9% from 2023. Cautions made up 75.0% of them.
Most diversionary disposals were issued to males (69.2%) and under 25 year olds (45.2%).
Violence against the person and drug offences accounted for 27.7% and 20.1% of diversionary disposals respectively.
2. Introduction
About this report
This bulletin is produced in accordance with the pillars and principles set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. It presents data on the number of prosecutions and convictions for magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court in Northern Ireland for the year 2024. Data for the youth court, a special magistrates’ court that deals with proceedings against juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17, are included with those for magistrates’ courts.
Data are also presented on those offenders who were dealt with outside the courts, by way of diversionary disposal, i.e., those who receive a caution, informed warning, a youth conference plan or are subject to the community based restorative justice scheme, or by issue of a penalty notice for disorder (PND).
Some detail on the structure of the known offending population in 2024, with information on the breakdown of offences committed and the disposals received, is also included. Where an offender has had an out of court disposal imposed or been prosecuted for, or convicted of, several offences on the same occasion, only one offence, the principal offence, is counted.
Details of principal offence methodology, data coverage and quality are detailed in Appendix 1. Data in all tables and charts in the bulletin, along with supplementary data, are available from the Department of Justice website in the accompanying spreadsheet.
The next update, covering the 12 months to 31 December 2025, is planned for publication in June 2026. A full publication schedule is available on the Department of Justice website.
The data underpinning this report are utilised in the production of an annual First Time Entrants to the Justice System report, which takes data on convictions and out of court diversionary disposals each year and merges it with a historical disposals file. An associated report on case processing time for Criminal Cases Dealt with at Courts is also produced but on a narrower dataset, as convictions resulting from breach of court orders, PNDs and most other diversionary disposals are not included. As is the case for this bulletin, the latter publication is published approximately 6 months after the reporting period, to allow for update of administrative records and data validation.
3. Cases
In total, there were 34,769 separate cases disposed in 2024, whether at court or through out of court disposal (Figure 1). This is 999 fewer cases than the number disposed in the previous year, (35,768) and 194 fewer than the pre-pandemic figure in 2019 of 34,963.
Of all cases disposed, 88.0% (30,587) were dealt with at court and 12.0% (4,182) by out of court disposal. Table 1 in accompanying spreadsheet.
The findings detailed in this report are split into – - Prosecutions and convictions at courts in Northern Ireland in 2024 (section 4-8) and - Out of court disposals issued over the same period (section 9).
Figure 1: Outcomes of cases dealt with at court and by out of court disposal 20241
1Figures for out of court disposals were revised in December
2025.
4. Prosecutions and Convictions Overall
4.1 Prosecutions
The number of prosecutions disposed at all courts in 2024 was 30,587, down 1.9% from 31,164 in 2023. This was largely due to a decrease in prosecutions disposed at magistrates’ court, down from 29,437 in 2023 to 28,829 in 2024. Cases disposed at Crown Court in 2024 remained similar to that disposed in the previous year, 1,758 and 1,727, respectively.
4.2 Conviction rates
In 2024, 81.7% (24,981) of prosecutions in all courts resulted in a conviction. This was slightly lower than the conviction rate in the previous year (83.5%), (Figure 2). The conviction rate for cases disposed at Crown Court in 2024 was 86.5%, the same as that observed in 2023, 86.5%. The conviction rate in magistrates’ courts was 81.4%. This was slightly lower than the rate in the past two years (82.4% in 2022 and 83.3% in 2023) Table 2a, 2b and 2c in accompanying spreadsheet.
Figure 2: Prosecutions and convictions at all courts 2015 to 2024
5. Prosecutions and Convictions by Gender1
5.1 Prosecutions
Males constituted 79.9% of people prosecuted in all courts in 2024. Comparative figures for Crown and magistrates’ courts were 88.9% and 79.3% respectively (Figure 3).
5.2 Conviction rates by gender
The conviction rate at all courts in 2024 was higher for females than males, 83.4% and 81.3% respectively. Conviction rates for males were higher in the Crown Court than in the magistrates’ courts, 87.3% and 80.9% respectively. The comparative figures for females are 80.6% at Crown Court and 83.5% at magistrates’ courts.
5.3 Other
For a small number of prosecutions, the defendants were classified as ‘others’. This category included transgender defendants, companies and other public bodies and those for whom no gender was recorded Table 3a, 3b and 3c in accompanying spreadsheet.
1Gender is recorded on a self-reported basis.
Figure 3: Prosecutions and convictions at courts by type and gender of defendant 2024
6. Prosecutions and Convictions by Age
6.1 Prosecutions and Convictions by Age
In all court settings in 2024, defendants aged 30 to 49 made up half (51.6%) of cases in which a prosecution was brought. Those in the youngest and oldest age groups made up the lowest (10-17, 2.2%; 60 and over, 6.1%).
6.2 Prosecutions by court type
Similar patterns were evident in both Crown and magistrates’ courts, with defendants aged 30 to 49 making up 52.0% and 51.5% of prosecutions respectively; those in the youngest and oldest age groups again accounted for the lowest numbers. Interestingly, while a smaller percentage of prosecutions in the Crown Court than the magistrates’ courts were against defendants aged 10 to 17, (Crown, 0.1%; magistrates’ courts, 2.3%), the reverse was true for those aged 60 and over (Crown, 7.2%; magistrates’ courts, 6.0%) (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Number of prosecutions at court by age group of defendant and court type 2024
6.3 Convictions in all courts
Defendants aged 30 to 39 accounted for almost a third (32.9%, 8,229) of convictions at all courts in 2024. Those in the youngest and oldest age groups accounted for the lowest (10 to 17, 2.0% (507); 60 and over, 5.4% (1,341)).
6.4 Convictions by court type
Similar patterns were also evident in the Crown and Magistrates Courts, where defendants aged 30 to 39 made up 35.6% and 32.8% of convictions respectively; those in the youngest and oldest age groups accounted for the lowest numbers (Figure 5). While the only prosecution dealt with at Crown Court against a defendant in the 10 – 17 age group resulted in a conviction, those aged 30 to 39 (90.8%, 541) and those aged 25 – 29 (90.2%, 259) had the highest likelihood of conviction at Crown Court. Those aged 25 to 29 (86.1%, 3,681), 18 – 24 (85.8%, 3,716) and 30 – 39 (83.0%, 7,688) had the highest likelihood of conviction in magistrates’ courts (Tables 4a, 4b and 4c in accompanying spreadsheet).
Figure 5: Proportion of convictions at court by age of defendant and by court type 2024
7. Prosecutions and Convictions by Offence Classification
7.1 All courts
Across all courts, motoring offences accounted for the largest proportion of cases disposed in 2024 (43.2%, 13,215). This was followed by Violence Against the Person (VAP) (17.6%, 5,395), drugs offences (8.7%, 2,654) and theft offences (8.7%, 2,650) (Figure 6).
Prosecutions brought for drugs offences were most likely to end in conviction (92.9%; 2,465), followed by motoring offences (90.9%; 12,008). Burglary cases were least likely to result in a conviction (63.6%; 267) (Table 5 in accompanying spreadsheet).
Details of what counts as an offence are documented in Appendix 1.
7.2 Gender breakdown
Cases where the principal offences related to motoring (46.9%), VAP (14.6%) or drugs (10.9%) made up the majority (72.4%) of convictions for males. Motoring (52.4%), VAP (14.1%), and theft (12.6%) offences made up the majority (79.1%) of convictions for females. In terms of all convictions at all courts, those due to motoring offences by males made up 37.3%; the corresponding figure for females was 10.6% (Tables 6a and 6b in accompanying spreadsheet).
Figure 6: Cases disposed by offence category in all courts 2024
7.3 Age breakdown
VAP (24.7%), theft (24.7%) and criminal damage and arson (18.3%) offences made up the majority (67.7%) of convictions for those aged 10-17. Motoring, VAP and drug offences made up the majority of convictions for those in the 18-24 (76.9%), 25-29 (69.9%), 30-39 (68.9%) and 40-49 (75.1%) age categories. Motoring and VAP made up the majority of convictions for those in the oldest two age groups, 73.1% for 50-59 year olds and 78.0% for those aged 60 and over. (Tables 7a and 7b in accompanying spreadsheet).
7.4 Crown Court
The largest proportion of cases disposed in the Crown Court in 2024 fell into the VAP (24.1%), drugs (18.9%) and sexual offences (13.4%) categories. The possession of weapons category made up the smallest proportion of cases disposed (1.5%). In the Crown Court in 2024, prosecutions brought for motoring (97.5%) offences were most likely and those for sexual offences least likely (69.4%) to end in conviction. Conviction rates for five of the other ten offence categories were over 90% (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Percentage convictions in Crown Court by offence category 2024
7.5 Magistrates’ courts
The largest proportion of cases disposed at magistrates’ courts in 2024 fell into the motoring offences category (45.7%), followed by VAP offences (17.2%). Prosecutions brought for drugs (92.2%) and motoring (90.8%) offences were most likely to end in conviction; robbery offences were the least likely (10.5%; 2 convictions) (Table 5 in accompanying spreadsheet)(Figure 8).
Figure 8: Percentage convictions in magistrates’ courts by offence category 2024
8. Prosecutions and Convictions by Main Disposal Type
8.1 All courts
Monetary penalties were the most frequently utilised disposal at all courts in 2024, with 54.6% (13,636) of all convictions having this type of disposal as their primary outcome. This was followed by suspended custodial outcomes (17.7%, 4,426), custodial outcomes (13.9%, 3,474) and community sentences (10.5 %, 2,620).
8.2 Court type
The type of penalty imposed following a conviction varied according to court type. At Crown Court, half of convictions resulted in imprisonment (50.3%, 765) and more than a quarter (27.9%, 425) had a suspended custodial outcome. Monetary disposals (58.0%, 13,596) accounted for the highest proportion of disposals in magistrates’ courts, compared to 2.6% (40) having this type of outcome in Crown Court (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Percentage convictions at court by disposal type and court type 2024
8.3 Offence category all courts
In all courts, the offence category most likely to result in a custodial outcome was robbery, with 93.2% (55) of disposals for offences in this category resulting in this type of outcome in 2024. Conversely, a custodial outcome was least likely for motoring (1.6%, 192), which were most likely to be dealt with by way of monetary penalty (89.5%, 10,750). Fraud offences were most likely to attract a suspended custodial sentence (43.8%, (130) of disposals for offences in this category); criminal damage & arson offences had the highest proportion of cases dealt with by a community sentence, (26.6%, (353) of disposals for offences in this category).
8.4 Offence category Crown Court
In Crown Court, offences in the robbery (96.5%, (55) of disposals for offences in this category), burglary (78.2%, 61), sexual (60.1%, 98) and motoring (59.0%, 23) categories were most likely to result in a custodial outcome. Fraud offences were more likely to result in a suspended sentence, ((59.5%, 44) of disposals for offences in this category).
8.5 Offence category magistrates’ courts
In magistrates’ courts, burglary offences (42.3%, (80) of disposals for offences in this category) were most likely to result in a custodial outcome while fraud (38.6%, 86) and public order offences (36.4%, 519) were most likely to be dealt with by way of suspended custodial sentence. Motoring offences were most likely to result in a monetary penalty (89.8%, (10,749) of convictions at magistrates’ courts for offences in this category) (Tables 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a and 12b in accompanying spreadsheet).
8.6 Custodial sentences
The Criminal Justice (NI) Order 2008 allowed for the introduction of three new sentence types within Northern Ireland: two public protection sentences, ‘indeterminate’ and ‘extended’ custodial; and a further sentence, ‘determinate’ custodial. Terrorism Sentence and Serious Terrorism Sentence disposals were also introduced, from April 2022. The number of convictions where a public protection sentence was handed down in 2024 was 30, 0.9% of all custodial sentences. The number of sentences which combined custody and community supervision elements excluding those released on licence conditions was 657, 18.9% of all custodial sentences. Other custodial sentences accounted for 80.2% (2,787) of cases where a custodial sentence was handed down, at all courts (Tables 9a, 9b and 9c in accompanying spreadsheet).
9. Out of Court Disposals
9.1 About Out of Court Disposals
Non-court disposals allow the police to deal quickly and proportionately with low-level, often first-time, offending which could more appropriately be resolved without a prosecution at court. In Northern Ireland a range of options exist, such as cautionary disposals, informed warnings, completion of Public Prosecution Service (PPS) ordered Youth Conferencing Plans and resolution through the Community Based Restorative Justice scheme.
Additionally, PNDs were introduced in Northern Ireland on 6th June 2012, under the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. PNDs are a fixed penalty designed to tackle low-level, anti-social and nuisance offending for offenders aged 18 and over and are issued for a range of minor offences. Unlike other out of court disposals, acceptance of a PND does not result in a criminal record.
Further information about out of court disposals is available in Appendix 1, in the accompanying background quality report and at the nidirect website.
9.2 Overall
The number of out of court disposals was 4,182 in 2024, a decrease of 9.2% from 2023 (4,604) (Figure 10). Of the out of court disposal types, cautions saw a 9.3% (296) fall when compared to 2023 figures; PNDs and informed warnings fell by 34.5% and 13.4% (182 and 41) respectively. For the same period, PPS ordered youth conference plans increased by 16.3% (97) compared to 2023 (Figure 10).
9.3 Penalty Notice for Disorder
In 2024, a total of 345 PNDs were issued, a 34.5% decrease on the 2023 total (527). Of all PNDs issued in 2024, 82.0% (283) were to males; 33.3% (115) were to 18 to 24 year olds. PNDs were issued mainly for offences in the public order category (45.8%, 158). Miscellaneous crimes (21.7%, 75), theft (20.9%, 72), violence against the person (5.8%, 20) and criminal damage and arson (5.8%, 20) offences accounted for the remainder. (Tables 14a, 14b and 14c in accompanying). Details of what counts as an offence are documented in Appendix 1.
Figure 10: Out of court disposals by type 2015 to 2024
9.4 Diversionary Disposals – Types issued
In 2024, the number of diversionary disposals issued that were recorded against individuals’ criminal records was 3,837, a decrease of 5.9% from 2023. The 2024 figure is the second highest since 2019 but represents a 35.4% decrease over a ten year period when compared to 2015 (5,940). Cautions were the most common form of diversionary disposal, making up 75.0% (2,879) of all diversionary disposals in 2024. This was followed by youth conference plans (18.1%, 693) and informed warnings (6.9%, 265). There were no relevant community based restorative justice scheme out of court disposals recorded in 2024 (Table 13 in accompanying spreadsheet) (Figure 10).
Whilst the number of cautions decreased by 9.3% (296) from 2023 and the number of informed warnings also decreased, by 13.4% (41), there was an increase of 16.3% (97) in the number of PPS ordered youth conference plans on the comparative figure for 2023.
9.5 Age and Gender of recipient, and offence category
In 2024, most diversionary disposals were issued to males (69.2%, 2,655). This is a slightly smaller proportion than in 2023, when 72.0% (2,935) of all diversionary disposals were issued to males. In terms of age group, most diversionary disposals issued in 2024 were to offenders under the age of 25 (45.2%, 1,732). This is a decrease in comparison to the rate in 2023 when 47.9% of all diversionary disposals were issued to those under 25.
VAP and drug offences accounted for 27.7% (1,064) and 20.1% (771) of diversionary disposals respectively. This was followed by theft (13.4%, 513), criminal damage and arson (12.4%, 479), motoring (9.1%, 351) and public order (6.7%, 258) offences (Tables 15a, 15b and 16 in accompanying spreadsheet). Details of what counts as an offence are documented in Appendix 1.
10. Appendix 1 - Methodology and Counting Rules
What counts as a prosecution/conviction/diversionary disposal?
The data included in the bulletin are based on those for whom court proceedings were completed, or who had an out of court disposal recorded in Northern Ireland during the year 2024. The bulletin counts criminal proceedings brought to court by the Public Prosecution Service on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the National Crime Agency, the Airport Constabulary or Harbour Police in Northern Ireland and breaches of community sentences brought by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. Some prosecutions brought on behalf of the UK Border Agency are also included. The numbers of prosecutions completed are split into those where a conviction followed and those which did not result in a guilty finding. Prosecutions brought by government departments, other public bodies and private individuals are not included. The Public Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland publishes details of the [prosecution process](https://www.ppsni.gov.uk/prosecution-process0 in Northern Ireland on its website, detailing paths through the justice system, whether a case is dealt with by way of court disposal or by an out of court disposal.
For the purposes of this bulletin, out of court disposals are broken into two categories, distinguishing those that result in a criminal record (diversionary disposals) from those that do not (PND). Diversionary disposals are those instances where an offender is subject to a caution, informed warning, a youth conference plan, or is subject to the community based restorative justice scheme. The purposes of a diversionary disposal are: (i) to offer a proportionate response to low level offending where the offender has admitted the offence, (ii) to deliver swift, simple and effective justice that carries a deterrent effect; (iii) to record an individual’s criminal conduct for possible reference in future criminal proceedings or in criminal record or other similar checks; (iv) to reduce the likelihood of reoffending; and, (v) to increase the amount of time the police have to spend dealing with more serious crime by reducing the amount of time police officers spend completing paperwork and attending court (in addition to simultaneously reducing the burden on courts themselves).
Police-issued PNDs are a fixed penalty designed to tackle low-level, anti-social and nuisance offending for offenders aged 18 and over and are issued for a range of minor offences. They were introduced in Northern Ireland on the 6th June 2012 as a result of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. PNDs provide police with a swift financial punishment to deal with misbehaviour and a practical deterrent to future re-offending. Further information on PNDs can be accessed at the nidirect website.
What counts as an offence?
Where an offender has had an out of court disposal imposed or been prosecuted for, or convicted of, several offences on the same occasion, only one offence, the principal offence, is counted. For cases brought before a court, the offence counted and used in the compilation of figures in this report is the one on which the court took its final decision. For diversionary disposals, the offence counted is the one recorded at the time the diversionary disposal was issued and, where applicable, subsequently recorded as completed with the PPS.
In relation to convictions, the principal offence counted is normally the one that draws the most severe disposal at conviction. Offences for which a defendant is convicted are not necessarily the same as those for which the defendant was initially proceeded against, as charges may be amended during the course of a case. The decision recorded is that reached by the court and takes no account of any subsequent appeal to a higher court. The basis for selection of the principal offence is laid down in rules issued by the Home Office; the Department of Justice has developed a methodology applicable to Northern Ireland based on these. Further, these statistics are compiled on the basis of the date at which a defendant’s case is considered dealt with by the justice system, rather than the date at which offences are reported or detected, as is the case for recorded crime statistics reported by the PSNI. More detail on recorded crime statistics in Northern Ireland is available in the relevant User Guide on the PSNI website.
Data source and coverage
The statistics are produced using administrative data sourced from the Causeway Data Sharing Mechanism (DSM1). They were extracted primarily based on records contained on the Criminal Records Viewer (CRV), held on Causeway. CRV utilises data that originated in the PSNI, PPS and from Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. Causeway is an interconnected information system, launched as a joint undertaking by the Criminal Justice Organisations in Northern Ireland. The information is not a sample, but a complete dataset of all relevant cases recorded within the time period reported on. To minimise the impact of records that have been retrospectively updated on the systems in question, the data are extracted around eight weeks after the end of the reporting period; this allows for the updating and completion of records across the systems concerned. As part of the preparation of the figures for the bulletin, numerous validation checks are carried out by the NISRA statisticians responsible for production of the bulletin, to ensure the data are fit for purpose.
These statistics are produced on a calendar year basis. Historically, this has been so that they match the publication sequencing of Judicial Statistics, published by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS). Further, this allows for efficient sequencing of work by the small team that prepare these statistics, as they are also responsible for producing statistics on First Time Entrants to the Justice System, Case Processing Time Statistics and Youth Engagement statistics in Northern Ireland.
Full details of data relevance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, coherence, strengths, weaknesses, user need, cost and confidentiality are available in the accompanying background quality report. Details of the data quality checks and processes that DoJ has in place are available in the Quality Assurance of Administrative Data (QAAD) document on the DoJ website. A summary of the strength and weaknesses of the data are included on the following page.
Data strengths and limitations
Strengths
Causeway is an integrated messaging system specifically designed to support information sharing between the five main NI Criminal Justice organisations. The information recorded within the individual organisations is used to manage day to day business and to communicate between the other organisations so needs to be highly accurate.
The system works well and is trusted by the staff who use it. It is reliable and needs minimal maintenance.
A number of key personnel are involved in managing Causeway and have developed a high level of competence and experience of the system.
The data are sourced from an administrative data system and therefore are a complete record of all cases (i.e. are not based on a sample of staff).
Processes and systems have been developed and refined over the years to address any quality concerns that emerged and the statisticians have developed a complex and detailed series of validation checks which are applied to the data to ensure any anomalies are corrected.
Limitations
- The system depends on staff within five separate Criminal Justice organisations inputting details and updating records on their own systems. While there is the potential for problems to occur if details aren’t updated on a timely basis or if input errors occur, the nature of the information make accuracy critical.
Contact Details
Published by: Analytical Services Group, Department of Justice
Lead Statistician: I Graham
This bulletin is available on: Department of Justice website
Feedback on this publication can be provided directly to Analytical Services Group at the email address listed above.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
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