After an upward trend between 2011-14, the number of prosecutions fell 36.4 per cent from 2,063 in 2014 to 1,312 in 2015.

Meanwhile, prosecutions at magistrates’ courts fell more gently from 29,417 in 2014 to 28,004 in 2015, a decline of 4.8 per cent.

The figures are included in the Department’s latest statistical bulletin, Court Prosecutions, Convictions and Out of Court Disposals Statistics for Northern Ireland, 2015.

In 2015, 83.2 per cent (24,379) of prosecutions in all courts resulted in a conviction, compared to 84.5 per cent (26,607) in 2014.

The majority, 83.1 per cent (24,349), of prosecutions were cases where the defendant was male. In Crown Court, 89.3 per cent (1,172) of prosecutions were against males, while 82.8 per cent (23,177) were against males in magistrates’ courts.

18 to 24-year-olds made up 26.4 per cent (7,737) of all those prosecuted in 2015 and 27.1 per cent (6,609) of those convicted.

With 11,604 prosecutions, motoring offences made up the largest proportion of prosecutions (39.6 per cent), while drug offences had the highest conviction rate, with 1,990 convictions (93.2 per cent).

3,370 penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) were issued, with the largest proportion - 34.5 per cent (1,163) - for public order offences.

The number of out of court, diversionary disposals recorded in 2015 was 5,940, a fall of 8.5 per cent from 6,495 in 2014.

Most diversionary disposals were dealt with by way of caution, with 78.9 per cent (4,686) of all diversionary disposals dealt with in this way.

23.4 per cent (1,387) were handed down for drug offences and19.9 per cent (1,184) for violence against the person offences.