Present: Mr Duncan Shipley Dalton, Chairperson

Mrs Eileen Bell MLA, Deputy Chairperson
Mr Alex Attwood MLA
Mr Gregory Campbell MLA
Mr David Ervine MLA
Sir John Gorman MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr Mitchell McLaughlin MLA
Mrs Mary Nelis MLA
Mr Ian Paisley Jnr MLA

Attendees:
Mr Tony Logue, Clerk of Ad hoc Committees
Mr Damien McVeigh
Mr Hugh Widdis

1. Apologies
No apologies were received.

The Clerk called for nominations for the position of Committee Chairperson.

Sir John Gorman proposed that: Mr Shipley Dalton be the Chairperson of this Committee. Mr Paisley seconded this and the nomination was accepted.

On there being no further nominations the Clerk put the question without debate.

Resolved, that Mr Shipley Dalton, being the only candidate proposed, be Chairperson of this Committee.

The Chairperson thanked members for their support and sought nominations for the position of Committee Deputy Chairperson. Mr Maginness proposed that: Mrs Bell be the Deputy Chairperson of this Committee. Mrs Nelis seconded this and the nomination was accepted.

On there being no further nominations the Chairperson put the question without debate.

Resolved, that Mrs Bell, being the only candidate proposed, be Deputy Chairperson of this Committee.

The Chairperson asked members to declare any relevant interests. The following members declared their interests as set out below-

• Mr Attwood:

-Membership of the Law Society of Northern Ireland; and

-Membership of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

• Mrs Bell:

-Membership of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland.

• Mr Shipley Dalton:

-Membership of the General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland.

• Mr Maginness:

-Membership of the General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland.

• Mr Paisley:

-Membership of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

The Chairperson referred members to a memorandum from the Committee Clerk on the procedures of the Committee contained in their briefing papers.

• Voting: the Committee agreed that in the absence of consensus, simple majority would determine all decisions.


• Public meetings: the Committee agreed that it would hold all evidence sessions in public.


• Deputies: the Committee agreed to permit the use of deputies.

The Committee noted a memorandum from the Committee Clerk setting out a proposed forward work programme. Following debate, members' unanimously agreed that the deadline by which the Committee must submit its report was totally unworkable and that the Chairperson would take forward a motion in the Assembly to extend that deadline.

The Committee agreed to invite the following bodies to give evidence-

• The Committee on the Administration of Justice;


• The Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland


• The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland;


• The General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland;


• The Law Society of Northern Ireland;


• The Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland;


• The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission;


• The Northern Ireland Office; and


• The Probation Board for Northern Ireland.

Further to this, the Committee agreed to invite written submissions from the political parties of the Assembly that are represented on the Committee.

No other matters were raised.

The Committee agreed that it would next meet on Tuesday, 27 November 2001.

Menu / 27 November