COMMITTEE FOR JUSTICE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 27 MAY 2010
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Lord Morrow MLA (Chairman)
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
Mr Tom Elliott MLA
Mr Conall McDevitt MLA
Mr David McNarry 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:
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr John O’Dowd MLA
The meeting commenced at 2.08 p.m. in public session.
The Chairman welcomed Mr Conall McDevitt, to his first Justice Committee meeting following his appointment as a member of the Committee.
The Committee noted Mr McDevitt’s entry in the Register of Members’ Interests.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2010
Agreed: The Committee approved the draft minutes of the meeting of 20 May 2010.
3. Matters arising
- The Committee noted correspondence to the Department of Justice requesting further information following the briefings at the meeting on 20 May 2010 .
- Mr McNarry highlighted the contents of a newspaper article on the NI Prison Service and in particular HM Prison Maghaberry.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider the matter further at the next meeting once there had been an opportunity to study the briefing papers again. - The Committee noted further correspondence received from the Department of Justice in relation to the provision of information on non-payment of fines for waste offences.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for the Environment.
4. Briefing on Criminal Justice Inspection, Northern Ireland
Michael Maguire, Chief Inspector of the Criminal Justice Inspectorate NI and Brendan McGuigan, Deputy Chief Inspector joined the meeting at 2.13 p.m.
Dr Maguire and Mr McGuigan provided an overview of Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, the issues arising from recent Inspections and the future Inspection programme and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including: the follow-up report on Maghaberry Prison; women prisoners; Mental Health problems in prisons, and avoidance of delays in the justice system.
2.15 p.m. Mr Bell joined the meeting.
2.22 p.m. Mr Elliott joined the meeting.
During the question and answer session Dr Maguire officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information regarding the assessment of personality disorders in the Young Offenders Centre.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule regular briefings by Dr Maguire into the work programme to coincide with the publication of Inspection Reports and Follow-up Reviews.
The Chairman thanked Dr Maguire and Mr McGuigan for the briefing and they left the meeting.
3.07 p.m. Mr McNarry left the meeting.
5. Department of Justice June 2010 In-Year Monitoring Proposals
Glyn Capper, Head of Financial Services and Louise O'Keeffe and Richard Logan of Financial Services Division, joined the meeting at 3.07 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the June 2010 In-Year Monitoring Proposals and answered questions from Members on the detail of the proposals.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information.
3.23 p.m. Mr Elliott left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the June Monitoring Round proposals.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
6. Justice Bill – Departmental Briefing on Redrawing the Map: A consultation on Court Boundaries in NI
Geraldine Fee, Head of Criminal Policy and Legislation Division, Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS), Jacqui Durkin, Head of Business Development and Services Division, NICTS and Peter Luney, Head of Business Development Group, NICTS, joined the meeting at 3.25 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the consultation on proposals for changes to Court Boundaries in NI and answered questions from Members on issues including the impact of the proposals on efficiency savings, how any benefits will be measured and issues raised in response to the consultation on the proposals.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with a summary of the responses received from the consultation on the proposals.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing.
Jacqui Durkin and Peter Luney, left the meeting.
7. Justice Bill - Departmental Briefing on provision to allow the PPS to commence proceedings without recourse to a lay magistrate
Graham Walker, Policy Adviser, Criminal Policy and Legislation Division, NICTS and John Rea, Assistant Director, Policy and Information, Public Prosecution Service, joined the meeting at 3.46 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the proposed reforms to allow the PPS to commence proceedings without recourse to a lay magistrate and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including the impact of the proposals on efficiency savings, the reason for the delay in bringing the proposals forward in legislationand issues raised in responses to the consultation on the proposals.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with a summary of the responses received from the consultation on the proposals.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing.
Geraldine Fee, Graham Walker and John Rea left the meeting.
The meeting was suspended at 4.03 p.m.
The meeting resumed at 4.08 p.m.
8. Justice Bill - Departmental Briefing on proposals for Alternatives to Prosecution
Gareth Johnston, Head of Justice Strategy Division, Janice Smiley, Head of Criminal Policy Unit, Justice Strategy Division and Paul Black, Criminal Policy Unit, Justice Strategy Division, joined the meeting at 4.08 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the proposals for Alternatives to Prosecution and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including the impact of the proposals on efficiency savings, Anti-social Behaviour Orders, comparative schemes in other jurisdictions, Restorative Justice and issues raised in responses to the consultation on the proposals.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with a summary of the responses received from the consultation on the proposals.
4.18 p.m. Mr Elliott rejoined the meeting.
4.28 p.m. Mr McCartney left the meeting.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
The Committee considered commissioning a research paper on how effective similar alternatives to prosecution schemes have been in other jurisdictions.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to commission research on how effective similar, non-court based alternatives to prosecution had been in other jurisdictions and any issues or difficulties that had arisen from the Assembly Research Services.
9. Departmental Briefing on Police Disability Pensions
David Hughes, Head of Policing Policy and Strategy Division and Kathie Walker and Clare Brady of the Policing Policy and Strategy Division, joined the meeting at 4.58 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on Police Disability Pensions and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including delays in relation to the appeals process; payments not being backdated following successful appeals; the origins of the policy; the make-up of the Review team; and whether the outcome of the Review would be published.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information on a range of issues.
5.15 p.m. Ms Ní Chuilín left the meeting.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Justice to express its concern and disappointment with the current assessment and appeals system and highlight the need to address the issues as soon as possible.
Agreed: The Committee wished to see a copy of the outcome of the Review at the earliest opportunity
Agreed: The Committee agreed a press release highlighting its concerns regarding Police Disability Pensions for immediate release.
10. Correspondence
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister for Justice in response to a letter from the Committee regarding the need to ensure that police officers forced to move home due to the threat from dissident republicans receive the full support and assistance necessary for their future protection and the protection of their families.
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister for Justice in response to a letter from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding NI Civil Service Equal Pay Settlements for staff in the Northern Ireland Office.
- The Committee considered correspondence from the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission requesting an opportunity to brief the Committee on the work of the Commission in relation to policing and justice matters.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that an informal meeting with representatives from the NI Human Rights Commission should be arranged. - The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel seeking information on the number of external advisers employed by the Department of Justice.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department of Justice requesting the information. - The Committee noted an invitation from NIACRO to the second event in “The Justice Series’ to be held in Parliament Building on 1 June 2010.
- The Committee considered correspondence from Victims Support (NI) requesting an opportunity to outline the work the organisation carries out with victims of crime.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that an informal meeting with representatives from Victims Support (NI) should be arranged. - The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Justice clarifying the position regarding the payment of Court fines.
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Northern Ireland Audit Office providing a Good Practice Efficiency Checklist.
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Police Superintendents’ Association of Northern Ireland enclosing the AGM Speech of the President of the Association.
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Justice regarding the launch of two guides for victims and witnesses of crime.
11. Any Other Business
The Committee noted that the packs for the next meeting would be available on Tuesday, 1 June due to the May Bank Holiday.
12. Date and Time of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 3 June 2010 at 2.00 p.m. in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.
5.32 p.m. The Chairman adjourned the meeting.