Report on Aarhus Implementation - Northern Ireland

Abstract

This report gives a broad overview of how the Aarhus Convention is implemented in Northern Ireland and identifies key issues with implementation in the areas of access to information, public participation, and access to justice in Northern Ireland. It highlights deficiencies in the areas of access to information, equal rights of appeal in planning cases, affordable access to justice, the standard of review in judicial review. It also highlights issues with cross-border access to justice, which pre-exist and are exacerbated by Brexit, as well as new issues caused by Brexit.