COMMITTEE FOR JUSTICE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 13 MAY 2010
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Lord Morrow MLA (Chairman)
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr David McNarry MLA
Mr John O’Dowd MLA
Mr Alastair Ross MLA
In Attendance:
Mrs Christine Darrah (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Roisin Donnelly (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Vincent Gribbin (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Joe Westland (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Kevin Marks (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
The meeting commenced at 2.03 p.m. in public session.
Agreed: The evidence sessions on the Northern Ireland Prison Service, agenda item 4 and Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, agenda item 5 should be recorded by Hansard.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 29 April 2010
Agreed: The Committee approved the draft minutes of the meeting of 29 April 2010.
3. Matters arising
i. The Committee noted copies of correspondence agreed at the meeting on 29 April 2010 including copies of letters to the Minister and the Department of Justice on issues arising during the meeting.
ii. The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Justice regarding an extension to the consultation on proposals for Local Partnership Working on Policing and Community Safety until 3 June 2010.
4. Overview briefing on the Northern Ireland Prison Service
Robin Masefield, Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, Colin McConnell, Director of Operations, Max Murray, Director of Programme and Development, and Mark McGuckin,Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development, joined the meeting at 2.08 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the role and responsibilities and the key issues and challenges facing the Northern Ireland Prison Service and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including: the Cost per Prisoner Place; the threat to staff from dissident republicans; industrial relations within the Prison Service; the gender and community make-up of the Prison Service; the Workforce Reform Programme and the availability of treatment programmes for sex offenders in prison.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information on a range of issues.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
3.34 p.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting.
3.35 p.m. Mr Maginness left the meeting.
The Chairman thanked the Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
5. Overview briefing on the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service
Mr David Lavery, Director of the NI Courts and Tribunals Service, Laurene McAlpine, Deputy Director of Civil Policy and Legislation Division, and Siobhan Borderick, Deputy Director of Tribunal Reform Division, joined the meeting at 3.35 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the role and responsibilities and the key issues and challenges facing the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including: the system for recording and collecting fines; delays in the justice system; the gender and community make-up of the Courts and Tribunals Service; Youth Justice cases and the Courts and Tribunals Service budget.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
4.02 p.m. Mr O’Dowd left the meeting.
The Chairman thanked the Director of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service and the officials for the briefing.
6. Briefing by the Department of Justice on the implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children in Northern Ireland
Laurene McAlpine, Deputy Director of Civil Policy and Legislation Division, provided a briefing on the implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children in Northern Ireland and the proposed role of the Department of Justice under the Convention and answered questions from Members on the scope and impact of the proposals.
4.21 p.m. Mr Bell left the meeting.
4.23 p.m. Mr Bell rejoined the meeting.
The Chairman thanked the Deputy Director of Civil Policy and Legislation Division for the briefing.
The Committee considered the proposals on the implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to the proposed implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children in Northern Ireland by way of a provision in Regulations to be made by the Secretary of State for Justice.
7. Briefing by the Department of Justice on Tribunal Reform in Northern Ireland and proposed way forward
Gillian McClearn, Tribunal Reform Division of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, joined the meeting at 4.30 p.m.
Siobhan Borderick, Deputy Director of Tribunal Reform provided a briefing on Tribunal Reform in Northern Ireland and proposals for the Department of Justice/Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service to assume full policy responsibility for the tribunals statutorily as part of the Reform of Tribunals programme and answered questions from Members on the proposals.
The Committee considered the proposed way forward in relation to Tribunal Reform.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to the proposals for the Department of Justice/NI Courts and Tribunals Service to assume full policy responsibility for the tribunals statutorily as part of the Reform of Tribunals programme .
The Chairman thanked the Director of the NI Courts and Tribunals Service and the officials for the briefings and they left the meeting.
8. Committee Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered a draft forward work programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the briefings on consultations on areas that could be included in the Justice Bill should be Hansarded.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to hold the visit to the Probation Board mid-morning on Thursday 17 June prior to the meeting in the afternoon.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that a visit a Prison establishment should take place prior to summer recess.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the work programme should be flexible to accommodate briefings from relevant stakeholders on specific issues in a timely manner.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that further consideration should be given to a visit to Scotland and other areas to research good practice in relation to policing and criminal justice matters and that visits should be linked to specific issues being considered by the Committee.
9. Chairman’s Business
The Chairman advised members that he and the Deputy Chairman would be holding introductory meetings with the Lord Chief Justice and the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
10. Correspondence
i. The Committee noted a letter from the Minister of Justice setting out the rule making process in relation to regarding Court Related Delegated Legislation.
ii. The Committee considered a letter from the Department of Justice, regarding the Department of Finance and Personnel’s Performance and Efficiency Delivery Unit (PEDU).
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the letter to the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
iii. The Committee noted a letter from the Department of Justice agreeing to the Committee’s request for early consultation on Monitoring Round proposals.
iv. The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment regarding the regulation of Claims Management Companies.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department of Justice for comment on whether it has responsibility for the regulation of Claims Management companies, and if so, whether there is a regulatory gap which needs to be addressed.
v. The Committee noted correspondence from the Assembly and Executive Review Committee regarding changes to financial forecasts for Legal Aid that had been provided by the NIO prior to the devolution of policing and justice..
vi. The Committee noted a letter from the Assembly and Executive Review Committee regarding an update on the Agreements, Concordats, Protocols and Memorandum underpinning policing and justice.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department of Justice seeking a copy of the most up-to-date versions of all the protocols listed and requesting clarification of the current position in relation to the draft Protocol on Policing Architecture and when it would be referred to the Committee for consideration.
vii The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure regarding the Department of Justice’s consultation on proposals for legislation on sports spectator controls.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that relevant information provided by the Department of Justice should be shared with the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
11. Any Other Business
None.
12. Date and Time of next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 20 May 2010 at 2.00 p.m. in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
4.41 p.m. The Chairman adjourned the meeting.