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 confirm the DUP's support for this cross-party motion highlighting Homelessness Awareness Week. Homelessness is a complex issue caused by factors relating to a person's personal circumstances and by wider factors beyond their control. The reality of homelessness covers a wide range of circumstances and includes…
I beg to move Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. This is Homelessness Awareness Week. It is time for change, time for action and time for a renewed commitment across the Chamber to address, once and for all, the prevalent issue of homelessness throughout each and every one of our communities. As we all know,…
The introduction of private finance in anything is deeply problematic, but, in the concept of justice, it is perplexing. How far do you intend that to go? How will you ensure that people are not encouraged to pick profitable cases and disregard others when it comes to justice?
I thank the Minister for her comprehensive statement. One of the greatest barriers to accessing justice in Northern Ireland can be the use and abuse of the judicial review process, particularly when it comes to major capital schemes being taken forward by government. I can think of a number of schemes in my…
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a ráitis. Minister, on Monday 12 May 1997, Seán Brown was abducted and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries. Have you made any representations to the British Government on the legacy legislation, which is denying so many people, including the Brown family, access to justice?
I thank the Minister for her statement and her answers thus far. Minister, do you consider the current regulatory framework for the legal professions to be adequate? If not, what steps will you take to address that?
I thank the Minister for her statement. Minister, you will be aware of concerns that have been expressed, particularly by those in the criminal legal professions about the viability of the service that they deliver. Will you outline to the House your Department's responsibility for the service's viability,…
There were two questions. On the first, when it comes to legacy specifically, separate arrangements are being considered by the Northern Ireland Office and Treasury. It is a UK Government policy, not a DOJ policy. Therefore, the legal support that will or will not be offered to people going through, for example, the…
Minister, although there is much in here that people will understand and sympathise with, there is some stuff to be concerned about too. Let us be transparent about your reform of the way that the taxing master works. I am not aware of any other situation in which the state can be on the other side of assessing the…
Minister, further to John Blair's question, can you outline what proportion of the Northern Ireland population is currently eligible for legal aid? How does that compare with elsewhere on these islands?
I note the Minister's comments regarding the increasing spend on legal aid here and her concerns around the sustainability of that trajectory. Can the Minister clarify our spend per head on legal aid in Northern Ireland and how that compares with elsewhere on these islands?
Minister, thank you very much for your statement to the House. The proposed reforms are well intentioned and address critical issues in the justice system. However, their success depends on clearly defined goals, realistic financial planning, effective stakeholder engagement and phased implementation. Addressing these…
I thank the Minister for her statement on enabling access to justice. In order to improve access to justice for those who are in greatest need and at greatest risk, which includes our women, our children, victims of abuse and people with a disability, the Minister mentioned that she planned to introduce a simpler,…
The Minister will know that some of us have questioned legal aid's value for money, as well as the need to eradicate fraud and error and, importantly, to provide transparency, for some time. It was brought into stark contrast when nearly £150,000 was awarded to Gerry Adams through legal aid, but I would not ask the…
Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Has any analysis been undertaken of the comparison between legal aid assessed by the taxing master and that spent by PPS barristers on the same cases? Does the taxation system operate elsewhere on these islands?
I thank the Minister for her statement, which is certainly wide-ranging. Minister, you will be aware of the alarming findings of the 2023-24 victims' survey by the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime, with only 7% of crime victims having confidence in your justice system and 50% being dissatisfied with the…
I thank the Minister for her statement. It is important, and it will be good to get the delivery programme and timetable that she mentioned. My question follows on from her comments on Tom Burgess's report and the 16% uplift. It is good for that to be widened so that it applies across the legal aid profession, but the…
I thank the Minister for her statement. She will know that I have been advocating at the Justice Committee for enhanced and improved access to justice. I broadly welcome the indication of intent in her statement. Will she provide detail about how she envisages that private financing will interact with the existing…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the steps that I am taking to improve access to justice. I do so because I believe that there is an opportunity to reshape how justice is delivered in future in order to ensure a fairer system that is more proportionate and responsive. There has been keen…
I am here as an MLA for South Down, representing the Alliance Party, to present this petition to stop the Mourne Mountain gondola project. Currently, the number of signatures on the petition exceeds 6,000. It is an honour to present it to you in the Chamber. I am glad that some of that number who organised the…
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The Civil Service inclusive language guide, which was published by the Finance Minister, amounts to an attack on the basic building blocks of society. In spite of that, the Finance Minister has confirmed to me that there was no call-in at the Executive triggered by other parties; thus,…
FlaggedGender, sexuality, abortion and related social issuesCriteria met: Identity framing, Cultural grievance politics, Dog-whistle messaging, Controversy escalation.
The front page of the 'Belfast Telegraph' on Saturday exposed, once again, for the world to see, the sectarian and anti-British sentiment at the heart of the Ulster Boxing Council. It read as follows: "I lost out on boxing for my country because I'm a Protestant." Had that headline read for any other minority…
We now have the Order Papers for the rest of 2024, thanks to your good office. We know that, before the end of this year, we will debate the motion to extend or not extend the protocol. We also know that the Executive will not deliver on the legislation programme that they put before the Assembly earlier this year.…
Today I remember two brave and valiant men on the anniversary of their murders. I remember Warrant Officer 2 John Arthur Maddocks, Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was 32 when he was killed by Provisional IRA terrorists who planted a bomb in a milk churn 50 years ago today. His murder took place at Gortmullen, Derrylin.…