Minister pushes for Irish Language to be permitted in Courts

Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has instructed officials to begin work on allowing the use of the Irish Language in Courts.

The 1737 Act requires all court proceedings in Northern Ireland to be conducted in English.

It's a criminal offence to use any other language which the Sinn Fein official says isn't acceptable.

The Finance Minister said: “Last month I met with legal professionals to discuss the ban on using the Irish language in courts.

"My ministerial portfolio includes responsibility for the regulation of members of the legal profession, and I would like to protect the rights of Irish speaking lawyers and all those who wish to use Irish in the courts.

"This type of legislation is not in use anywhere else in these islands and building on the work of the former DCAL Minister Carál Ní Chuilín, it is my intention to litigate against it.”

It comes amid the political crisis at Stormont between Sinn Fein and the DUP. 

Martin McGuinness resigned on Monday blaming the handling of the flawed Renewable Heat incentive scheme. 

The former Deputy First Minister also blamed equality issues surrounding the Irish language, dealing with the past and LGBT rights. 

The latest development also follows the row over the Liofa Irish language project. 

DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan scrapped a £50,000 project to send school children to Co. Donegal to learn the language. 

Yesterday he reversed that decision saying it was non political.