Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Jon Burrows on .
- MLA
- Mr Jon Burrows
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 15 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Justice Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5615458
Read the official Assembly record
Text
You know what? It is not listening. It writes something on a tablet of stone, but you know what? Do you see the young girl from Creggan who is sexually assaulted? Do you see the family bereaved and the old granny who cannot sit out her front because petrol bombs are raining down? "Ah, but the UN says it's not a crime". Let us live in the real world as it is, not the world as the United Nations wishes it to be. If we wanted to go full hog on all this stuff, we would actually —. There are some people who say that they want to go to 18, so there would be no criminal responsibility until 18. Seriously?
You are on the Policing Board.
I am at a loss as to what the Member is saying. Frankly, what the UN says on this matter does not cut it with victims or the lived experience of many people. We have a youth justice system that is rehabilitative, diversionary, flexible and nuanced, but, suddenly, it would be salami-sliced and shoved into a corner, and the police would not have the flexibility to do their jobs. Yes, we can have rehabilitation and education, but not at the expense of justice, establishing the facts, getting the truth, protecting the vulnerable or saying to a victim that her rights to a prosecution do not matter because of something that the United Nations or the Children's Commissioner say. The Children's Commissioner should represent all children, but he says that no one up to the age of 16 should be brought to account for a criminal offence. What if the victim is under 16? Why do they not even get a choice? How can you ever say to someone in your constituency, "I am victim-led" or "I am victim-focused", when you say, "We know better than you. I'm removing your ability to ask for a prosecution or investigation because I have higher morals than you and I don't think that you are entitled to it"?
341 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: 0.29 (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 (0.81).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.93).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
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 | 0.12 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.10 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.19 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.14 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.81 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.29 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.93 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.02 |
| Adopts it | 0.05 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.53 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.32 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.11 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
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.
Disagree with this assessment?
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