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.
As part of the work that we are undertaking, we are exploring the potential to pilot arrangements for a daily risk assessment meeting (DRAM) that would operate in support of MARAC in the first instance but would look at more immediate interventions for high-risk victims. We are also exploring how to pilot the…
I am committed to ensuring that the risk that is posed to victims of domestic abuse is assessed and managed as effectively as possible. Members will be aware that Leonard Consultancy conducted an independent review of the multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) arrangements on behalf of all strategic partners…
One of the key things for stabilisation is ensuring that we stave off the attrition and loss of officers to other parts of these islands. The recent allocation allowed the PSNI to, first and foremost, clear what was left of its in-year pressures, but it will also put us in a position from which we will be able to, as…
In the first instance, it is not about the numbers that the Chief Constable aspires to. We are undertaking a separate work stream in parallel with stabilisation processes to identify what the right size of the Police Service should be. We will work with the Chief Constable and others on that. However, the issue is…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will take questions 4 and 8 together. I share the Chief Constable's ambition to increase police officer numbers. However, the reality is that police officer numbers cannot increase without additional funding, which I have been actively working to secure through the appropriate…
Yes, I am very pleased to provide some insight into the bids that have made it through for further consideration by the interim board. We made a bid, which has been supported by the Criminal Justice Board, to speed up the transformation of the criminal justice system. That bid is in partnership with the Public…
I was pleased to present five innovative and transformative bids from my Department to the interim public-sector transformation board. Following consideration by the interim board, I welcome the fact that three of those bids have moved forward for further consideration. The bids relate to three key areas: speeding up…
I hope to address that during this mandate, but it is a sensitive and complex legal issue on which we will need to take significant advice. We are keen to consider including it in the final Bill that we intend to introduce in the mandate.
It is not for the Department of Justice to maintain a record of people once they have exited the justice system, which is the last point of contact for which we are responsible; they then move into services that are provided by the Department of Health. It is important that we recognise that, once people have gone…
That is, ultimately, a matter for the judiciary, in that it is a judicial-led protocol, but the fact that it has now been extended to under-16s across the board augurs well for our seeing it more widely extended. We would certainly support that. Importantly, there are other ways in which we can assist child victims,…
We are very committed to looking at the Barnahus-style model for Northern Ireland. There is a successful model in Iceland, there is one in Scotland, and there is now one in the South. It is something that we want to do. The joint working group completed some benchmarking of current relevant services against the…
My Department continues to oversee a multi-agency programme of work to implement the Gillen review's recommendations. That work includes progress against a range of recommendations intended to support child victims of serious sexual offences, including the ongoing delivery of a judge-led voluntary protocol to expedite…
The investment in that particular piece of work is not something that would be clawed back from the sale of the site. The structure has already been dismantled. As you know, we were able to use the site at the behest of the MOD, so no clawback is involved.
I am not sure how that question relates to the estates strategy for the PSNI, but, nevertheless, I am happy to answer it. The recent additional funding allocation of £39·3 million to my Department includes £36·7 million that has been allocated to the PSNI. The Member will be aware that the Chief Constable has welcomed…
The management of the PSNI estate, including acquisitions, is entirely an operational matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB). I will, however, continue to work with the Chief Constable, my Executive colleagues and the Department of Finance to ensure that we…
Legislative Consent Motion: Arbitration Bill That this Assembly endorses the principle of the extension to Northern Ireland of the provisions in the Arbitration Bill.
This is a tribute that I hoped I would never have to pay. For all of us in the Alliance Party, it is hard to contemplate that Anna is no longer with us. She was full of energy and joy and lit up every room that she entered. It is hard to believe that we will not see her again. On behalf of Alliance, I extend…
I want to speak on the motion to extend the Committee Stage of the Justice Bill to 27 March 2026. I fully appreciate how unusual it is for a Minister to speak on what is normally considered a routine motion such as this, but the circumstances are slightly unique for two reasons. First, the length of the extension…
I was shocked and saddened to learn of the attacks on two women in Derry/Londonderry over the past weekend. Rightly, we are all deeply concerned about the increase in incidents of violence against women over recent times. We must all do everything in our power to challenge and change the attitudes and behaviours on…
I thank Members for their contribution to today's debate on the order. It is, hopefully, reassuring to the wider audience that we can achieve consensus in the Assembly for a common purpose, which is to provide the best possible access to the justice system that we can afford, given our budgetary pressures. Retaining…
I beg to move Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I seek the Assembly's approval for the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) (No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024. Article 2 of the order extends the provisions allowing courts and statutory tribunals in Northern…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I wish to make a statement on work that is ongoing to reform access to justice. I am conscious that the withdrawal of services by the Criminal Bar Association and the Solicitors Criminal Bar Association, and the potential impact of that on some of our most vulnerable citizens, will be on…
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to address a matter that was raised by a Member for East Belfast on 14 October. The Member referred to comments that I made during the Second Stage debate on the Justice Bill on the Committee's request for a Keeling schedule. In my response, I indicated that a Keeling…
The issue with the family court system is that it is, essentially, a judge-led system. Therefore, the changes in law that we bring forward in the Chamber are still at the discretion of scheduling and other things that happen in the court system. We introduced additional protections for cases where domestic abuse is…
The Justice Bill that we are bringing forward deals with a lot of unfinished business in a lot of small, discrete and technical areas. It is important because a number of pieces are court-required, but it will not have a huge impact in its reach into the community. The latter two Bills of the mandate certainly do. The…