n
a special court of law in Northern Ireland for people accused of terrorist offences. Diplock courts were set up in 1972 under the British judge Lord Diplock (1907–85) when the normal system of trial by jury had become difficult because jury members were being threatened and even murdered. In Diplock courts, each case is heard by a single judge. The absence of a jury has been criticized as unfair, although the accused person has certain extra rights in these courts.