A Belfast City Council procedure for handling flag and language policy decisions was ruled to have lacked adequate legal foundation.

A High Court judge found that the voting process used to assess community impact did not align with the council's standing orders.

The ruling came in a challenge brought by campaigner Ann McClure against the council's handling of a call-in mechanism.

The mechanism allows a minority of councillors to request reconsideration of decisions, including one to fly the Palestinian flag at City Hall.

The flag was raised for a short period in December after the council approved it to mark Palestinian Solidarity Day.

The judge determined that a simple majority vote was used instead of the required super-majority process under standing orders.

The court issued a formal order confirming the procedure was ultra vires.

A related challenge to the council's interpretation of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 2014 was dismissed last month.

The Irish language policy approved in October remains subject to the call-in process.