Debate contribution: Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 30 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5653406
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way again. He will be aware of the success of special measures in domestic abuse contest cases. We now have successful conviction rates of about 92% in such cases, either by guilty plea or at the end of a case. That dramatic increase is due to the fact that people are now willing to turn up and give evidence because they no longer have to go into the courtroom and risk bumping into either the accused or the accused's supporters in that environment. That is hugely important. People being able to give evidence remotely and feeling more protected represents a sea change in what we do but in no way prevents the accused from getting a fair trial.
124 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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