Debate contribution: Crown Court Cases
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 19 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Crown Court Cases
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5795774
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I commissioned the accelerated review of criminal legal aid in the interests of victims and witnesses who were affected by the withdrawal, and, in their interests, have continued to prioritise that implementation. Consultation on the proposed changes issued promptly on 26 June and closed on 21 August. Officials are assessing responses. I intend to publish the post-consultation report in the coming weeks, following consideration by the Justice Committee. Work has also progressed in tandem on the secondary legislation and financial governance steps that are necessary to implement fee changes. That includes writing to Executive colleagues to seek endorsement for my decision to implement the uplifts, notwithstanding the fact that the costs cannot be met from within my existing budget. Subject to that approval, I expect the fee changes to come into effect early next year. The changes will result in an additional investment of £19·5 million over the next three years, over and above the 16% uplift in fees that I implemented earlier this year. That is no small commitment, and I hope that the benefits will be felt by those citizens whom legal aid is here to serve.
189 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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