All of Mrs Naomi Long’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
It is difficult for me to give an opinion on that because I cannot speak for the UK Government. I have, of course, publicly shared my concerns about the approach taken, which will impact across the board not just on confidence in policing but on confidence in the wider justice system. That is of concern to all of us…
The PSNI has published the final number of applications received, with just under 30% of applications from members of the Catholic community. Whilst that is comparable to previous campaigns, I would wish to see figures more reflective of the wider community. It is therefore important that we listen to and learn from…
The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 That the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 be approved.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members who tabled the motion on this important and sensitive issue. Initially, the Executive had not intended to provide a ministerial response to the debate, given that the issues engaged in the motion fall entirely outside the devolved space. However, in recognition of the…
The Member has just acknowledged that an inquiry set up by the UK Government, under the auspices of the Secretary of State, does not have the power to compel. Can he elucidate how he expects me to compel the Irish Government to do anything?
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I acknowledge the overwhelming impact that drugs can have across our society. When I say "drugs", I am not talking about illegal, illicit or prescription drugs, because all drugs can be dangerous if not taken under medical supervision. We need to be really clear about that,…
There are two phases to the working group's work. We hope that its first report — the interim report — will be completed by the end of March. That should allow us to package any low-hanging fruit in any of the areas that could be reformed, as well as any uplift in fees that is required in those areas, for inclusion in…
There are two separate issues. The first is that I have to keep the House apprised of the progress that has been made. That is part of my duty as Minister, and that is why I am making this statement today. I said that I would develop the proposals and move at pace. It is important that people are aware of that, of the…
With permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the enabling access to justice programme. When I launched the programme in December, I committed to moving at pace to ensure the viability and sustainability of the justice system and, more importantly, to provide better services and supports to our…
Undoubtedly, for policing to work, it has to start with neighbourhood policing and with local communities feeling a positive impact from that policing. One of the positive things to come out of some recent reviews has been that neighbourhood policing is very highly rated, in terms of its quality, by the community. It…
I agree with you completely, and it is why I have made the case repeatedly in the House that we cannot underfund the justice system and still expect it to perform its functions as though by magic. We need to properly resource our justice system at every point in the system to ensure that, when members of the public…
My hope is that the legislation will be introduced in the autumn of this year, so we are working to a timeline of somewhere between September and Christmas with the Justice Committee and the Office of the Legislative Counsel (OLC). You are absolutely right in your wider point. Those who work in the justice sector are…
There are a number of things. First and foremost, I contacted the Chief Constable about the incidents that took place and extended my support and solidarity to the officers affected, as well as to their families and colleagues, because they have to face into such situations every day and showed great courage and…
There are a number of reasons. Different legislative constructs were put in place for particular purposes in order to ensure the absolute independence of the Police Ombudsman and of, for example, the judiciary, the PSNI and the Policing Board, to which I have referred. The legislative framework is different. I answer…
I do not hold figures on spending by the Police Ombudsman on that legal action. As I have previously explained to Members, the ombudsman is a corporation sole, appointed by royal warrant on the advice of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. I have oversight of her office — I will have an oversight meeting…
Without doubt, and I commend the study to Members and encourage them to read it. It is instructive about the legacy that our experiences, particularly those related to paramilitarism and organised crime, have left us. The issues that we talk about weekly in the Chamber — people who have achieved less in school; people…
It can have a number of impacts. The report shows that 60% of our adult population have reported at least one adverse childhood experience and that nearly one in five people has experienced four or more. The correlation between higher adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposure and poorer life outcomes, from…
I do not have statistics on the number of people who have not yet been able to receive their ill-health retirement. It is not for me to make decisions on ill-health retirement. Those decisions fall to the PSNI to make and are a matter for the Chief Constable. However, we have worked hard to ensure that we are able to…
I will say a couple of things about that supplementary question. The Member said that it is not his responsibility, but it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that the PSNI is reflective of the community. Every Member who walks through the doors of the Chamber has a responsibility to ensure that their…
It is not just that I rehearse the independence of the PSNI: your predecessors in the SDLP fought for the independence of the police service when it was being reformed during the Patten process. They argued strongly that no Minister should be able to intervene with policing in the way that it had happened historically…
As the Member will know, our initial thoughts were that we would not be able to provide the service at the current Bishop Street location, simply due to the constrained nature of the site and the listed status of the building. The plan had been to provide a new facility for the north-west. However, fortuitously, we…
First, we have to make sure that those courthouses are accessible in the most basic sense, and many of them, unfortunately, are not fit for purpose. Many of the protections that we would wish to put in place — for example, for vulnerable victims and witnesses — are not possible, because everyone enters through the one…
Limavady courthouse has been closed since March 2020, with its business currently transferred to Coleraine. Prior to the building's closure, it operated as a hearing centre and was open one day a week for the delivery of Magistrates’ Court business. The Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service's (NICTS) estate…