Debate contribution: Enabling Access to Justice Reform Programme: Update
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 3 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Enabling Access to Justice Reform Programme: Update
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4774239
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will answer those questions in reverse. The social value of legal aid is that is provides access to justice for those who could not otherwise afford to access justice. I see it as being part of the welfare system and the security net that is provided for our citizens. Therefore, it is important that we are able to ensure that it is directed to the most needy and vulnerable at the right point in time. The Department and I have had ongoing engagement with the criminal Bar over recent weeks and months. I will meet representatives of the Law Society and, indeed, criminal solicitors tomorrow. I will also meet representatives of the criminal Bar tomorrow afternoon. My objective is to bring the action to a close because I believe that we have moved some considerable way. The original demands were for the Burgess review report to be published, and it has been published. I was then asked to provide whatever uplift Burgess asked for, and I have said that 16% will be provided. I cannot do that immediately, which is the latest request. It is impossible to provide it immediately, but I can provide it. Another ask was to implement the recommendations of the Burgess review, and, if you look at the wider enabling access to justice landscape, you will see that that has been met. Indeed, one of the reasons why I delayed going out to consultation from December until this month was to take account of concerns that the criminal Bar had raised about some of the measures that we were proposing in the programme. I have adjusted the programme to take account of that to try to get a resolution. However, when you seek to meet someone halfway, it is important that that person does not regress from their position if you are going to have any success. Hopefully, tomorrow, we will be in a position to close the gap rather than simply move the gap to a different place.
334 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: 0.03 (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 (0.90).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.90 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.99 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:53 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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