Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 8 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5600913
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I share the Member's respect for faith traditions. As a Christian, I believe that it is right and proper that we should be able to discuss and practise our faith openly in the public domain and that it should not have to be hidden away. I disagree with the Member, however, in that I believe that people also have a right, under freedom of conscience and belief, to not have a faith and to live their lives free of faith. We should not use blasphemy law or the threat of blasphemy law to impose our faith and beliefs on other people or to circumscribe what opinions people are allowed to hold and express. The Member's party has, I think, championed free speech to date, but it seems that that free speech is allowed only if the DUP agrees with what is being said. That is a real challenge in this society. When I chaired the Westminster all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on international freedom of religion or belief, it was called "an orphaned right": it was said that the left did not like it because it involved religion, and the right did not like it because it gave people freedom to dissent. That has been exposed clearly here this afternoon.
Will the Member give way?
Hopefully, this intervention will allow us to move things on. Let us take a country that is not Northern Ireland and where, for example, the Islamic tradition has been the foundation. Do you agree with countries that persecute people who want to convert to Christianity under blasphemy laws; that prevent people taking a bible home; that do not allow people to meet privately for prayer in their home; where people have to register their church on a list; and where prosecution for such blasphemy against Islam can result in death? On the basis that it is OK for us to do it because Christianity is important here, do you accept that it is OK for those countries to do that because Islam is important there, or do you agree with me that people should be free, without fear of prosecution, to hold, change, practise, observe and speak about their religion, and to disagree with any religion, irrespective of what religion it is?
376 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.33 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.70).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.64).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- The overall probability was low and the text did not adopt any identity-based framing.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.23 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.06 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.11 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.16 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.19 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.70 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.33 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.34 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.01 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.64 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 1.00 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 01:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.