COMMITTEE FOR JUSTICE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 3 JUNE 2010
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Lord Morrow MLA (Chairman)
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA
Mr Tom Elliott MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr Conall McDevitt 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:
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA
Mr David McNarry MLA
The meeting commenced at 2.05 p.m. in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 2010
Agreed: The Committee approved the draft minutes of the meeting of 27 May 2010.
3. Matters arising
i Copies of an article in the Belfast Telegraph on 27 May 2010, which had been referred to at the previous meeting had been circulated for information.
ii The Committee noted correspondence to the Department of Justice requesting further information following the briefings at the meeting on 27 May 2010 .
4. Briefing by Assembly Researchers on the European Commission Work Programme 2010 and relevant Justice issues
A research paper on the European Commission Work Programme 2010 and relevant Justice issues had been provided for the Committee.
The Chairman advised Members that the oral briefing by Assembly Researchers could not take place as the Senior Researcher was ill.
Agreed: The oral briefing on the European Commission Work Programme 2010 would be rescheduled for a future meeting.
5. Justice Bill - Departmental Briefing on proposals for Local Partnership working on Policing and Community Safety
David Hughes, Head of Policing Policy and Strategy Division, Department of Justice and Nichola Creagh and Dan Mulholland from Policing Policy and Strategy Division, joined the meeting at 2.08 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on proposals for Local Partnership Working on Policing and Community Safety and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including possible alternatives to the proposals; issues arising from responses to the consultation; the preferred option; and the financial implications of the proposed options.
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 and further information on the potential cost savings of the various options.
2.24 p.m. Mr Ross left the meeting.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
6. Justice Bill - Departmental Briefing on proposals for an Offender Levy and Victims of Crime Fund
Gareth Johnston, Head of Justice Strategy Division, Department of Justice and Janice Smiley, Head of Criminal Policy Unit, joined the meeting at 3.16 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on proposals foran Offender Levy and Victims of Crime Fund and answered questions from Members on issues including; the consultation responses; the experience of similar schemes in other countries; the likely administrative costs; and the current default rates for payment of fines.
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 and information on the current default rates for payment of fines and further details of the 37,000 backlog of unpaid fines.
3.39 p.m. Mr Donaldson left the meeting.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and Janice Smiley left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to Commission research to identify the key issues in international experience of imposing a levy on offenders.
7. Justice Bill - Departmental Briefing on proposals for Sports Law
Tom Haire and David Mercer from Criminal Law Branch, Justice Strategy Division joined the meeting at 3.54 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on the proposed reforms of Sports Law and Spectator Controls and answered questions from Members on a range of issues including issues raised in responses to the consultation; and the range of sports to which the proposals apply; whether the proposed offences relating to ‘offensive chanting’ included political opinion; the Equality Impact Assessment; and responsibility for enforcement of the proposals.
During the question and answer session officials agreed to provide the Committee with further information on conviction rates for ‘incitement to hate’ crimes and the offensive chanting offences.
The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
8. SL1 – Proposal to make a Statutory Rule under Part V of the Police Act 1997, AccessNI
Tom Clarke, General Manager, AccessNI and Brian Thomson, Head of Customer Services and Administration AccessNI, joined the meeting at 4.42 p.m.
The officials provided a briefing on proposals to make a Statutory Rule under powers conferred by the Police Act 1997 to allow AccessNI to continue the current procedure of not charging for standard and enhanced disclosure certificates to most volunteers who work closely with children and vulnerable adults after 26 July 2010 and to allow AccessNI to complete its statutory duty to provide information on the reasons why any individual barred by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) was so barred and answered questions from Members.
The Chairman thanked the officials for the briefing and they left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the proposals for the Statutory Rule.
9. Committee Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered an up-dated Forward Work Programme covering the period up to summer recess.
The Programme included presentations by the Law Society and the Bar Council on the Legal Aid Reform proposals, a visit to Maghaberry prison and briefing sessions by the Department of Justice on the draft Programme for Government addendum and the draft Community Safety Strategy.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to visit Maghaberry prison on Thursday 10 June in place of a Committee meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to the proposed programme for the visit subject to the question and answer session extending to 30 minutes rather than 15 minutes.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to the proposed programme for the visit to the Probation Board on Thursday 17 June in the morning.
10. Correspondence
i The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister for Justice indicating that he did not intend to seek an amendment to the Ministerial Code or Procedural Guidance in relation to the need to allow the Department of Justice to make urgent decisions.
ii The Committee considered correspondence from the Department of Justice regarding information requested by the Committee at its meeting on 29 April.
Agreed: The Committee agreed seek further information regarding the number of sex offenders within Northern Ireland and the current monitoring arrangements.
iii The Committee noted information provided by the Department of Justice regarding consultations currently being undertaken by the Department.
iv The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Justice in response to a letter from the Committee for Enterprise Trade and Investment regarding the regulation of Claims Management Companies in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to refer the response to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
v The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the Northern Ireland Data Protection Review – Second Assessment.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department of Justice requesting information on data security within the Department.
11. Any Other Business
i The Issue of the murder of Mr Bobby Moffett and a briefing by the Department of Justice on the matter was raised.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a briefing from the Department of Justice on the murder of Mr Moffett and the broader security situation.
ii The Committee discussed the accountability of the Public Prosecution Service and what role the Assembly and the Justice Committee had in this. The Chairman advised the Committee that he had met the Chairman of the Committee for Procedures to discuss the issues. A number of cases where the Public Prosecution Service had come under criticism from the families concerned were highlighted.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to give further consideration to these issues at a future meeting.
5.04 p.m. Mr McCartney left the meeting.
iii The Committee noted an invitation from the Minister of Justice to an event on Monday 7 June 2010 at which the Minister intended to set out how he would begin the process of examining what is needed to create an effective, joined up justice system.
Agreed: Members would inform the Clerk to the Committee if they wished to attend the event.
iv The Committee considered an invitation to meet Mr John Vine, Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency during his visit to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to meet with Mr Vine. The Clerk to the Committee would take forward the arrangements.
12. Date and Time of next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 17 June 2010 at 2.00 p.m. in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.
5.10 p.m. The Chairman adjourned the meeting.