Debate contribution: Access to Justice and Legal Services in Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Debate contribution by Mrs Deborah Erskine on .
- MLA
- Mrs Deborah Erskine
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 24 June 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- Access to Justice and Legal Services in Fermanagh and South Tyrone
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5047853
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank my constituency colleague Diana Armstrong for securing this Adjournment debate. It is a by-product of a recent meeting that we had in our constituency, which party MLAs attended, with representatives from the Law Society and local solicitor firms. I welcome those in the Public Gallery who have travelled to join us. Having your support today is much appreciated. Laid bare at that meeting was a matter of growing concern that strikes at the core of public confidence in our legal system and the principle that justice should be equally available to all, regardless of geography. Access to justice in Fermanagh and South Tyrone is under serious strain. I know that it is an issue right across Northern Ireland. The Chair of the Justice Committee, who has joined us, and I have talked about that a number of times. However, adding rurality to the issue brings a different component to it. At present, as has been said in the Chamber, there are just 16 private practice solicitor firms in Fermanagh. Three of those firms have already ceased to provide legal aid services in recent years due to a number of factors, such as stagnant fees, delays in payment and increased bureaucracy in the system. Let me begin, however, with the most symbolic and practical representation of justice in our communities: our courthouses. As it stands, in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Enniskillen courthouse is operational on only three days a week, primarily for Magistrates' Court business, as was mentioned. Enniskillen courthouse was once central to administrative justice in the region, but its reduced opening times leave constituents and members of the profession with no local venue in which to access vital court services. People who are required to attend hearings must now travel longer distances, often to Omagh, Dungannon or beyond. Such journeys are neither reasonable nor fair, particularly for those with mobility issues, limited financial means or caring responsibilities. A justice system that requires people to travel an hour or more to seek redress or to defend their rights is not truly accessible. Frankly, it is a structural inequality. The problem is compounded by the rural nature of the district, which has a knock-on impact on policing in our area. Our constituency spans vast geographic distances, and transport infrastructure is limited. In such a setting, police officers are expected to cover immense areas with minimal backup and insufficient resources. Yet, rather than investing to meet that rural challenge, we see decisions being taken that further weaken our justice system and policing capacity, chief amongst which are the closure of the Enniskillen custody suite and the delayed refurbishment of the Omagh custody suite. I recently wrote again to the Chief Constable about that.
The timescale for the completion of the Omagh custody suite has now doubled. It is now expected to be completed by October 2025, having closed in October 2023. The situation is unacceptable and unsustainable. Officers also now have to transport arrested persons significant distances, and my constituency colleague Diana Armstrong spoke about the size of other custody suites. Doing that not only ties up front-line officers for extended periods but reduces on-the-ground capacity, disrupts investigations and impacts on victims and witnesses who are awaiting justice. It is deeply concerning that the two principal urban centres in the west of Northern Ireland, Enniskillen and Omagh, have no custody provision at all at present. Has the Minister been involved in discussions with the Chief Constable and local police about that?
Finally, I must speak about the serious challenge that we face in recruiting and retaining legal professionals in rural areas. The legal sector in Fermanagh and South Tyrone is experiencing real difficulty in attracting solicitors, barristers and support staff. Support staff in particular are crucial to the delivery and administration of the work that goes on in practices. That leaves existing legal practices under pressure and unable to meet demand, and it narrows access for the public to legal advice and representation. I record my thanks to those legal practices and their workers, who are going above and beyond to provide that access to people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. I will touch on the need to attract women into the legal profession. There are major challenges for people who have to travel long distances and work unsocial hours while meeting family demands. Solicitors work unsocial hours, and those from our constituency are travelling long distances to provide a service. Justice should not depend on one's postcode, and I urge the Minister of Justice to acknowledge the specific challenges facing Fermanagh and South Tyrone and to act decisively to reverse the trend. What options is the Minister actively considering in order to reverse that trend? There is a host of other issues facing the legal system, and I have highlighted just a few in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Some of the issues are compounded by my constituency's rural nature, and I urge the Minister not just to use the phrase "Justice delayed is justice denied" but to live by it. We need action from her and the Department now.
850 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 (0.96).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- 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 | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.96 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.59 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.20 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.14 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.06 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:56 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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