Debate contribution: Sentencing: Drug Dealing

Debate contribution by Mr Mark Durkan on 21 April 2026.

MLA

Mr Mark Durkan

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

21 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Sentencing: Drug Dealing

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5498010

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

Thanks, Deputy Speaker. I welcome the chance to bring this important motion and address an issue that continues to cast a long and dark shadow over our communities. That drug-related deaths here have increased by nearly 50% over a decade shows the scale of the problem, but that shocking, sad and shameful statistic is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the chaos and carnage caused by drugs in our communities. It is also indicative of the Executive's failure to get a handle on a spiralling situation, whether through providing timely access to support services or proper deterrence in the justice system. Too many lives have been cut short, families shattered, children left without parents, parents left grieving for sons and daughters and communities carrying pain that often goes unseen. The motion recognises that addiction is a complex public health issue. It is an issue wrapped up in trauma, poverty and mental illness — circumstances that can, and often do, leave people vulnerable to substance misuse and dependency in the first place. We need coordinated action across government from every Department, because addiction does not fit neatly into one departmental box. While addiction requires compassion and treatment, there must also be accountability for those who profit from misery. Across communities, families are living with the devastation caused by drugs. Those who sell illegal substances often exploit vulnerability. They target those who are already struggling, fuel dependency and poison communities. The call for Jasmin's law has emerged from personal tragedy and from the determination of one woman — Pauline Duddy — to ensure that no other family endures the same loss and pain. Pauline is a formidable and ferocious campaigner, and she is in the Public Gallery this afternoon. She has shown extraordinary courage in turning personal grief into public advocacy following the loss of her daughter Jasmin in 2023. Pauline has given a voice to families who often feel voiceless in the face of such huge loss, and her campaign is a stark reminder that what we are discussing today is real lives, real tragedies and the need for real action. Sentencing must do more than simply process offenders. It must protect the public and hold their confidence. It must also act as a real deterrent. When sentences are reported, the reaction from the public is usually one of anger and disbelief, with many feeling that serious drug-related crimes have resulted in little more than a slap on the wrist.

Those death dealers poison communities, exploit vulnerability, sow addiction, destroy lives and wreak devastation that filters across generations, yet, far too often, those who do appear before the courts receive suspended sentences and are often even given anonymity orders. They then return to the same streets, to the same communities that they have harmed, and the cycle continues. The motion is about ensuring that death dealers are dealt punishment and sentences that truly reflect the harm that they cause. It is not about punishment for punishment's sake. Rather, it is about deterrence, protection and sending a clear message that those who profit from addiction and misery will face consequences that are proportionate to the damage that they inflict. I call on the Justice Minister to take that into consideration and include Jasmin's law in the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill. The amendment rightly highlights the role of paramilitary organisations and crime gangs in the drugs trade. Sadly, however, my party will not be supporting it, because we feel that the wait for a sentencing council would significantly prolong the process of securing deterrents. I believe that the Lady Chief Justice has voiced similar concerns. We cannot afford to delay action on the issue. There is no single solution to a crisis on this scale. It requires a full government response. That starts with tougher sentencing practices that recognise the suffering that drug dealers cause. It means providing access to timely support and delivering recovery programmes and appropriate housing placements that will help rebuild lives and communities. For the sake of those whom we have lost, the families who are still grieving and the communities that are still living with that harm, the —

— Executive must act.

704 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:26 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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