Member's statement: Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility: Petition of Concern

Member's statement by Mr Paul Givan on 9 June 2026.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

9 June 2026

Type

Member's statement (made as a minister)

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility: Petition of Concern

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5601505

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I speak in advance of the continuation of the Justice Bill's Consideration Stage today, which, potentially, will deal with the important group of amendments associated with the minimum age of criminal responsibility. The debate will be important, and I urge Members —.

Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, my statement relates to the petition of concern, which, if valid, will be debated along with the group 6 amendments but has to be signed before we get to that debate. That is the context in which I make this contribution. When we get to the debate, it will be past the post. I appeal to Members not to consider the implications just from a justice point of view. Jim Gamble has spoken at length on this. He has intervened in a powerful way, particularly for those who are reluctant to sign a petition of concern, about the priority that should be afforded in considering those dilemmas that people feel.

He has stated:

"the overriding ethical obligation must be what is best for children and the society within which they live. When the welfare of children and the safety of communities are both on the line, procedural shortcuts are not a minor inconvenience. They are a failure of responsibility."

I say this to the Members who are still deliberating: set aside any other issues that may cloud the discussions and look at the changes that the amendment would make. There is a very limited opportunity to make an intervention. If the Members who have brought forward the amendment decide to propose it — I appeal to them not to do so — there is only one way in which it can be prevented from becoming law. Why is that important? It is important not just from a justice point of view. The Youth Justice Agency engages with our schools. Where will the support be if the situation changes? I am deeply concerned that the withdrawal of that deterrent will undermine the practice of discipline in our schools. Such a proposal should be taken forward in a youth justice Bill, after proper consultation and consideration, with other Departments feeding into the process, rather than via an amendment tagged on to the Justice Bill that will have profound implications for many other aspects of our society. I appeal to those who have it within their gift to ensure that proper scrutiny takes place to step up and support those who have already signed the petition of concern. If an issue were to materialise in the future, it will be too late for them to wish that they had done something to prevent it. I would rather be on the side of proper scrutiny and consideration than of rushed legislation. I appeal to those Members who can to join us.

464 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:47 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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