An analysis by the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council found that justice would see its funding cut by between one and two per cent while other departments will see increases.

In drawing up the budget, the Department of Finance applied a two per cent cut across almost all departments, but then allocated additional funding arising from an increase in the block grant.

Of the £13,951 million allocated to departments for resource spending in 2024-25, health has been allocated 51 per cent, education 18 per cent and justice eight per cent.

Justice minister Naomi Long tweeted that the watchdog’s analysis was “independent validation of the point I have already made: justice is bearing a disproportionate amount of pain in the draft budget”.

She added: “It’s not just a difficult budget, but one which will do lasting damage to the delivery of justice, impacting on some of our most vulnerable people.”