Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Ms Emma Sheerin on .
- MLA
- Ms Emma Sheerin
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 16 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5624742
Read the official Assembly record
Text
That is just for the record. You made a comment about providing us with expertise or advice. We are the outlier. MACR is lower here than in 75% of European states, and the world has not caved in in any of those places. We have advice going back as far as 2011 to increase the age of criminal responsibility, and we have advice from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which, I dare say, is more expert on children's rights than any of us in the Chamber. I go back to the emotive argument that you are presenting about one hypothetical individual case and how you would feel as a parent. With all due respect, I would love to see the passion that you have put into that argument and the passion that you have all displayed in managing to barter with specific Members of the UUP to drive a petition of concern over the line engaged in early interventions for young people who need support and help, instead of dying in a ditch to make sure that they remain criminalised.
185 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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