Under the Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland) 1737, court proceedings in Northern Ireland must be carried out in English.

Similar pieces of legislation introduced for England and Scotland in 1731, and Wales in 1733, were repealed in 1863.

Mr Ó Muilleoir said: “As the Minister with policy responsibility for the regulation of members of the legal profession, I would like to see the rights of Irish speaking lawyers and those who wish to use Irish in the courts protected and today I am hearing first hand from some legal practitioners on the use of Irish in court.

“This type of legislation is not in use anywhere else in these islands. I have raised this issue with the Justice Minister and will continue to consult with Irish Language and legal groups to consider the best way forward on the issue.”