Justice Minister reflects on past year
Date published:
On the anniversary of the restoration of the NI Assembly and Executive, Justice Minister Naomi Long has reflected on achievements this year.

There are many examples of achievements for the Department of Justice including the addition of Northern Ireland in UK legislation quashing the convictions of those affected by the Horizon I.T. scandal and Northern Ireland Prison Service receiving top marks in independent inspections at both facilities at Hydebank. This is not just the first in Northern Ireland but the first across the UK.
The Minister said: “I was honoured to be returned as Justice Minister in February 2024. I wanted to finish what I had started and was thankful to get that opportunity. Despite having delivered some significant legislation in the previous mandate including stalking, upskirting and downblousing, there is more I want to do.
“One of my key priorities this year has been tackling domestic and sexual abuse and enhancing protections for victims and witnesses. On average domestic abuse is reported to the PSNI every 16 minutes and a sexual offence every two hours. These are stark figures!
“My department worked closely with colleagues in Health to produce the Domestic and Sexual Abuse strategy. This strategy and associated action plan gave a voice to victims, including children and young people, ensuring they are heard and are at the core of decision making.”
Continuing with the focus on victims, the Minister said: “I recently extended the Sexual Offences Legal Advisers (SOLA) scheme and will shortly bring forward a similar scheme aimed at children. Up to the end of November 2024 the adult scheme provided free legal advice and support to more than 2,000 complainants in serious sexual offence cases. The support and advice provided through this scheme is invaluable, ensuring victims have support on their justice journey.”
On justice delivery, the Minister said: “I recently announced a major reform programme to improve access to justice. This programme will refocus services, putting the citizen at the heart of the justice system here. As part of this reform, I am consulting on a 16% uplift in legal aid fees for the legal profession and I am also seeking views on the delivery plans for reform.”
The Minister has also launched a Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Strategy to help identify and eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking here and increased staffing numbers in prisons in response to the very steep rise in prisoner population.
Looking forward, the Minister remains committed to delivering three pieces of significant legislation in the remainder of the mandate.
The Minister said: “Despite the challenges, I aim to deliver on my legislative priorities for the remainder of this mandate. Legislation which will reform and modernise the justice system is already progressing in the form of the Justice Bill. I also intend to bring forward a Sentencing Bill and a Victims Bill which will include increasing maximum penalties for those convicted of offences causing death or serious injury by driving; review sentencing including in cases such as the Charlotte Murray murder; and will give additional protections for victims of hate crimes.”
In conclusion, the Minister said: “Staff from across the justice system have worked tirelessly and with dedication and determination to deliver for those we serve. I thank you for all that you do.”
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