Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on 15 June 2026.

MLA

Mrs Naomi Long

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

15 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Justice Bill: Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5614893

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Member for giving way. He has been generous with his time. I do not doubt that what the Member says and believes is sincere: that the criminal justice system is often the only intervention that young people get. I hope that he agrees that it should not be. If young people are starting to go off the rails, we want to intervene more quickly. However, here is a question: do you accept that, if somebody lures a child into criminal activity, child criminal exploitation or other things, that child's fear of being prosecuted for the actions they have undertaken, even if it was under coercion, or their fear of not being recognised as a victim of coercive control and of child criminal exploitation might drive a wedge between the child, the police and the other services, because they will be afraid of saying, "Yes, I took drugs", "Yes, I delivered drugs" or, "Yes, I committed criminal offences at age 12, 13 and 10"? The risk is that, instead of a child seeking help for what happened at that young age and being diverted away from that activity, they will be afraid of disclosing what is happening to them. For example, if a young girl is taken from a care home, fed full of drugs and God knows what else happens to her while she is absent from that place, the bigger fear on her part might be admitting that she has taken drugs. As a result, all the other exploitation that took place might never be uncovered. That is the difference between criminalising the behaviours of a young, vulnerable person and trying to put in place proper protective measures. I agree with the Member that such measures are not there yet. I have said that a number of times, but I believe that they can and should be there and that the justice system should not be there to take up that slack.

Will the Member give way?

They are afraid because they have committed a criminal offence. They are fearful that they will end up in a youth justice centre or, when they are older, Hydebank Wood or that they will end up with a criminal record that might stop them ever being able to travel outside the jurisdiction. It is not that they are afraid of the individuals. My colleague already talked about the importance of relationship building in getting young people to have that trust and confidence. That is what the Youth Justice Agency does every day. With respect, it is not a failure of the justice system. The justice system engages with vulnerable young people who have committed offences to try to divert them from the system at the earliest point, but that will not happen until there has been some finding of fact against them. That is the damage that is done, and that is what they are afraid of when it comes to making disclosures.

Will the Member give way?

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:57 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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