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.
1,630 records match, page 7 of 66.
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I have never considered legal aid solely as a cost. In fact, on my watch, legal aid expenditure has increased from, I think, £76·9 million in 2020 to approximately £120 million last year. Anyone suggesting that I am not committed to legal aid or that I do not recognise its value needs to provide substantial evidence…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
The Member has talked about a couple of things since I first indicated that I wanted him to give way. The first thing to say is that there is no evidence of legal aid deserts in Northern Ireland. We heard that from the Law Society previously, but when I went out to the west to meet practitioners, they raised some…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I reassure the Member — if it reassures her at all — that I would like to see people's ability to access legal aid improved significantly. In fact, we will bring proposals to the Committee shortly that will set out that wider scope of legal aid to ensure that more people are captured within it. We are also looking at…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I thank the Member for giving way. It is not about accessibility. The wider enabling access to justice programme that was laid with the Committee a number of months ago deals with wider issues around accessibility. For example, I talked about changing the financial threshold, because, as you know, there is an upper…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I thank the Member for giving way again. On what basis would he say that we are in some way trying to ignore the experience and expertise of the Bar? Solicitors are already paid in this way. Are they less important? Do they matter less? Their clients would probably argue that they spend more time with their solicitor…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I will draw two things to the Member's attention. First, this does not change the remuneration; it is not about that. It is about making the structure more transparent and accountable, and that is good when we are talking about public money. Secondly, will the Member accept that, yes, the Bar is a professional…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Again, the remuneration orders can already do that. The power already exists, and I referred to it in my opening remarks. What we are doing is putting it into primary legislation to make sure that there is no risk of misinterpretation and no lack of clarity. With respect to the criticism of the Department for bringing…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
In developing the proposals, we took account of the feedback that was received from the Law Society and the Bar Council. We also engaged with the Lady Chief Justice and the taxing master. To be clear, the Department already has those powers. What we are seeking to do in the amendment is to formalise that in primary…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
If you compare the cost of prosecution counsel with what the defence gets paid in cases at the Court of Appeal, falling into the tax cases, there is a multiplier. For barristers, it is a significant uplift. Those who operate within the legal aid system get paid significantly more, with the same overheads and working…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
To be absolutely clear, these provisions do not restrict access to legal aid. The qualification for access to legal aid will remain the same. These amendments deal solely with the remuneration under taxation for the practitioners — nothing else. That does not at all change access to legal aid. We would not have…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Like all regulations, they will come to the Committee. The amendment will give members the opportunity to scrutinise them. Any future uplifts in fees in the taxation space will also be available for the Committee to scrutinise and take evidence on, which you do not have the opportunity to do at moment, because of the…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
It is not a fear but a fact. Of course, the budget settlement will have an impact on how much we can spend on legal aid and how we set the fees, because I have a duty, as does the permanent secretary in my Department, to live within the budget that is set. That requires us to say how we will remunerate people for…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Will the Member give way?
Not analysed
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I thank the Member for giving way. The point that I make is that, when I bring forward proposals for uplifts in fees, I have to provide justification and a business case to the Department of Finance. The Committee is able to scrutinise my proposals and look at the evidence base on which I make the decisions. That is…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that it was not just that the Assembly was not informed about recent uplifts and therefore did not have the opportunity to scrutinise them but that the Department was not consulted fully on the decisions that were made? The taxing master increased the solicitor hourly…
Assessment details for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage Official Assembly record for Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
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