There has been a rise in the number of people getting divorced in Northern Ireland, according to the latest statistics.

The number of divorces granted in the courts increased by 158 over the last two years.

The judicial statistics, published on Wednesday, reveal 2,642 divorces were granted in 2001, compared to 2,484 in the previous year.

The number of people sued for defaulting on mortgage payments fell over the same period, with 133 fewer being issued with High Court writs.

Meanwhile, it is thought new human rights legislation and European Court rulings were responsible for a slight increase in the applications for judicial reviews in the High Court.

In the Court of Appeal, only 17 criminal appeals out of a total of 67 were successful, either completely or in part, while the court also heard 74 civil appeals.

In 2001, coroners dealt with 3,489 cases, of which 198 required an inquest, it was also revealed.