Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I am keen that there should be greater openness, transparency and accountability in the conduct of court business, as I believe that increasing the public's understanding of what the judiciary does and how judicial decisions are made will enhance confidence and trust in the justice system. One initiative that, I…
I am not aware of the Department of Finance having changed its position with respect to the employment of prison officers under the normal Civil Service code. However, the governance of prisons, as the Member knows, is through the application of normal prison rules. Where someone assaults a prison officer, we expect…
I thank the Minister for her interest in the Prison Service. She is right to say that recruitment is often oversubscribed, but staff retention is incredibly difficult. I contend that one of the reasons for that is the circumstances that are held in the Civil Service staff handbook. The Department of Finance has said…
To be clear, in 2020, when we had our lowest prisoner numbers during COVID, there were 32 assaults on staff. To compare what happened this year, when we are at our largest ever prison population, with that year is an unjust comparison. For example, if you look back, you see that, last year, the number of assaults was…
I thank the Minister for her answer. I agree that every attack on a prison officer is beyond comprehension and should be condemned rightly in this place. However, that the number of attacks should treble in four years is quite astonishing. What is the Minister's assessment? What are the numbers in specialised prison…
The work of prison officers is challenging, complex and often overlooked, but it is critical to the safety and security of Northern Ireland and of people who are held in custody. In 2020, there were 32 assaults on staff; in 2021, there were 71; in 2022, there were 66; in 2023, there were 59; and, in 2024, there were…
The intention is that the secondary legislation that underpins that will complete its passage by May. As you know, I have foreshortened the consultation on it to eight weeks because it is a targeted consultation, given that it affects a narrower group of people. We will have further conversations tomorrow about the…
I welcome the fact that you are meeting the associations tomorrow, Minister, on legal aid. You said that a 16% uplift will be provided. Will you give the detail on when?
No, that refers not to the PPS but to other ways in which we can deliver front-line justice. Many organisations, particularly third-sector organisations, offer competent legal advice in a structure that is different from that which we normally focus on with individual legal practices. We want to make sure that their…
Will the Minister confirm whether and how she has ensured that justice users, practitioners, NGOs and other experts have been and are structurally involved in inputting into the review from day 1? Will the Minister explain her reference to bringing "all publicly funded legal services" within the purview of the…
There has been a significant reduction in fraud and error in the legal aid budget in recent years, and our accounts have made great progress over that time by bearing down on the elements of the legal aid system where there are errors. In the majority of cases, by the way, it is error rather than fraud. It is also…
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…
Given the Bar's decision to extend its strike, what engagement has the Minister had with the profession recently on the Burgess review? Whilst I am aware of the consultation, what more might be done to move all this towards a resolution in weeks rather than by the end of the consultation, which will be in months? What…
I thank the Member for the opportunity to provide clarification. The answer is no it has not. When I launched the programme in December, I noted my intention to progress a fees uplift as soon as possible and to consult on the proposed uplift in January, with a view to implementing the changes in May. There is a…
I thank the Minister for her answer. Will she clarify whether the delay in publishing the delivery plan has delayed the implementation of the fees uplift?
Work has progressed at pace since I announced the programme on 2 December, and I have now published the programme delivery plan for consultation. The consultation will be critical in ensuring that we examine issues in the right order and properly take account of interconnectivities. I have been clear, however, that we…
The Executive-wide programme includes work that goes on in schools, and, indeed, there are many good initiatives in the school system on tackling paramilitarism, particularly those that look at trauma-informed approaches. I can think of two clear examples. The first one is the trauma-informed approach in the Encompass…
At the moment, EPPOC is the sole funder of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland's work on developing trauma-informed approaches across the system and has been briefing all parties and the Justice Committee on what has been learnt through the programme. That applies to paramilitary harm, but it goes much wider…
I thank the Minister for her answer. She referenced the Executive programme on paramilitarism and organised crime. Will she give examples of the work that that programme is doing on the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on young people?
As Justice Minister, I am acutely aware of the daily and cumulative impact of trauma, because the justice system is often the place of last resort for people and communities with trauma. Justice agencies such as the Youth Justice Agency and the Probation Board are leading the way in showing how to adopt…
I was clear in my statement that, while I welcome the fact that the criteria for extra points relating to paramilitary harm have been changed to reflect the wider harms that happen in our society, such as domestic violence and sexual abuse, which were very much a secondary consideration when it came to claiming points…
Last week, the Minister for Communities removed intimidation points for victims of paramilitary-style violence. Minister, does your Department have any concern about the impact that that will have on people's safety and on their ability to live a life free from paramilitaries?
As the Member knows, paramilitaries will act under any banner that allows them to justify their existence to a local community or to pretend that they are protagonists acting on behalf of that community. The truth is that they feed off the misery in those communities. The Member will also be aware that I intend to…