Naomi Long
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Underneath the Facebook posts to say that he had passed away, people speculated with such comments as, "Probably high on drugs", "Probably drunk", and, "Typical boy racer". There was all of that speculation. It was hurtful to the family, and it was inaccurate.”
“There are circumstances that we need to consider and be careful of. I was told, for example, that, when the issue of good character references at trial was being looked at in New South Wales — Committee members may wish to look at this for themselves — one of the groups that opposed their removal was representative of domestic abuse victi…”
“It sets out the strategic direction adopted by the Department and key partners to tackle those appalling crimes and protect vulnerable victims of exploitation.”
“The provision seeks to provide protection, via legal advice and representation for complainants, against the use of non-relevant personal material and evidence of previous sexual history being used in the court process.”
“<BR /> <BR />On the wider issue of ensuring that a withdrawal of services never happens again, I think that most of us agree that, although everyone has the right to take industrial action, no one has the right to derail and hold to ransom the entire justice system in that way.”
“Those measures will go some way towards helping to support complainants and enable them to have input into the decision-making process about what records containing their personal and sensitive information are required to be shared with the defence.”
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“We have set aside additional funding for legal aid in year. Those who are seeking general advice and legal representation, where they are enabled to do so and are entitled to legal aid, should be able to do so more readily. As the Member may be aware, in the previous mandate, we included a waiver for domestic abuse, which was to allow those who were engaged in family proceedings and who were victims of domestic abuse to have the monetary test for legal aid waived so that they could access it. That has not been the success that we had hoped for and does not seem to be used as regularly as we would wish. One reason for that seems to be the complexity of the application process, so we are looking at simplifying it.”
“Her office is giving the matter further consideration, and I hope to be in a position to advise as to next steps in the near future.”
“I am taking steps, under my recently announced enabling access to justice programme, to ensure that we are effectively supporting the most vulnerable and using resources to best effect. That includes revisiting eligibility and merit tests for the provision of legal aid to ensure that resource is focused on greatest need and risk of harm. It also includes introducing bespoke delivery models to provide specialist tailored support and advice to vulnerable groups, including victims of domestic abuse involved in family proceedings. Scoping work is in train to consider the potential to increase the transparency of family courts whilst ensuring that safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of the children and families involved. I recently discussed that matter with the Lady Chief Justice.”
“The legal framework governing the rights of parents and children vests in the Department of Finance rather than in my Department. My Department is responsible for the operation of the justice system and the courts. <BR /> <BR />I am committed to taking whatever steps I can to improve the operation of the family justice system. I continue to prioritise action to improve outcomes and the experience of families involved. Together with the Minister of Health, I continue to develop tools, under the private law early resolution action plan, to support parents to resolve disputes outside the adversarial court environment and to aid the earlier resolution of disputes that do come before the courts.”
“The constant association of our contemporary justice system with what went before means that there is a danger that we will lose sight of the extensive reforms that have happened in our justice system during the past 15 years and beyond. <BR /> <BR />From my perspective, resource is probably our biggest challenge. The organisations for which my Department has responsibility will continue to comply fully with their statutory obligations, but it has to be acknowledged that, even if the ICRIR takes over, is in place, is human-rights compliant and is all the other things that the Government say they intend it to be, there will still be a burden on the justice system, both from those cases that lie outside the strict legal definitions for the ICRIR and also from servicing the ICRIR in respect of disclosure.”
“There are a number of issues here. The devolved justice system was never properly resourced for legacy matters. When Justice was devolved in 2011, all the liabilities that related to the Ministers who held office prior to that were devolved to Northern Ireland, but, at that time, no one anticipated that we would be standing here, in 2025, with legacy matters unresolved. The lack of a proper funding package for legacy investigations undoubtedly impacts on trust and confidence in policing and the capacity of policing to deal with contemporary issues, but it also diminishes the confidence of sections of our community in policing being able to respond to those historical issues.”
“They continue to seek answers about what happened to their loved one, as so many families are doing and as so many families have been frustrated in doing over recent years. I hope that that will soon come to an end.”
“Any legacy issue that is contested in the public space will have an impact on people's views of the contemporaneous justice system. That is an unavoidable inevitability. However, it is important to note that the decisions around it have been made by the Secretary of State. It would not be appropriate for me to provide any assessment of the Court of Appeal judgement, because that is a matter for the UK Government and is subject to ongoing legal proceedings. I do not want to dip into that space, as that would be inappropriate. However, I am very aware of the hurt and disappointment felt not just by the Brown family but by those who support the family in their calls. I offer them my heartfelt sympathy.”
“It has an impact, whether that is on the ombudsman's office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the court system or any other part of the system. That is not in any way to diminish the rights of the victims who need to get access to that information and to justice and truth, but it is to say that the UK Government, as the body responsible for legacy, ought to be properly funding it in our system.”
“As you will be aware, representation on behalf of the Executive to Treasury does not happen through each individual Department; it happens through the Department of Finance. However, the case has been made by the Department of Finance on behalf of the Executive that additional resource is needed. <BR /> <BR />I raised the issue of legacy with the Prime Minister when I met him previously, and I raise it with the Secretary of State on an ongoing basis because it is clear that the contemporary justice system in Northern Ireland, on which we rely today, is not properly resourced, funded or equipped to deal with the ongoing burden of legacy. That takes a toll on the morale and the capacity of our current organisations.”
“However, I will say that my thoughts are with the family of Sean Brown and with other families who continue to seek to have truth and accountability around the deaths of their loved ones and have, so far, been unable to achieve it.”
“They are two separate issues. First of all, with respect to the former ombudsman, obviously, she is entitled to set out her views, but I have been clear that a patch-and-repair job with respect to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) is not the way forward. I do not believe that that will build the confidence in the community that we need to see. The UK Government are committed to continuing with that structure but reforming it significantly, so there is somewhat of a divergence in our views. <BR /> <BR />With respect to the Sean Brown inquest, you will be aware that the matter is before the courts. It is a matter for the Secretary of State and the NIO, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on matters that are before the courts currently.”
“When communities can see themselves represented in their Police Service, trust and confidence in policing grows stronger. <BR /> <BR />I am confident that there is an appropriate legislative framework in place to encourage applications from all under-represented groups, and I emphasise once again that it is incumbent on us all, as elected representatives, to encourage all members of our community to consider joining the PSNI and to help to create the societal conditions where that is most likely to occur.”
“As the Member will be aware, I have previously made clear my concerns about the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, which marked a significant departure from the Stormont House Agreement, blocked access to justice for many people and caused distress and anxiety for many. <BR /> <BR />I am not surprised by the Chief Constable’s comment that legacy issues contribute to an individual’s decision to apply to join the Police Service, amongst a wide range of other considerations. It is important that our Police Service is reflective of the communities that it serves, not just in respect of religious make-up but in respect of other characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and so on.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that Members are satisfied that this is very much an interim measure and that more detailed proposals lie in the Bill that is with the Committee. Hopefully, we will now be able to move forward with this temporary provision. We will, of course, need to renew the provision later this year, because it will expire towards the end of September. We will continue to do that — hopefully, with the cooperation of the Committee — until such times as the primary legislation is passed in the House.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank Members for their contributions on the order. The importance of making live links available to those who find themselves, often through no fault on their part, engaged or compelled to engage in the justice system should not be underestimated. They can provide an avenue of communication that may reduce stress or other pressures that participation in a court hearing might bring. That has been reflected in what has been said during this short debate. It is important to recognise that, unlike other Departments, the Department cannot change that provision by regulation; it requires primary legislation. That is why it is written into the Bill that is before the Committee. I look forward to that being brought forward with the rest of the content of the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am equally conscious that improvements in case processing times have levelled off after a period of successive improvement, despite the efforts made to increase throughput. The average time from an offence being reported to a case's completion in court is now 191 days. It has remained broadly at that level for a while, in contrast to 149 days pre-COVID. <BR /> <BR />There remains support from court users, particularly those who advocate for victims of crime, for this avenue of participation to be available, subject to judicial approval, to those who would prefer not to attend court in person. I believe that the use of the provisions aligns with the commitments made or reflected in the Victim Charter. I commend the approval of the order to the Assembly and thank the House for taking the time to debate it.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am conscious of the concern expressed in past debates on similar motions about relying on emergency-related legislation. I remain keen to have the new legislation in place as soon as reasonably practical, but that now rests with the Committee, as it takes forward the Committee Stage of the Justice Bill. I wish that there was a practical alternative to continuing to rely on those provisions as temporary measures, but it cannot be denied that, despite all the efforts made within the resources available to my Department, there remains approximately a quarter of cases that have been with the Crown Court and the Magistrates' Court, adult and youth, for more than three years.”
“The extension will allow us to maintain access to a digital tool that has proved to be an essential element of the toolkit for addressing the backlog of cases accrued during and since the pandemic until 24 September 2025. <BR /> <BR />Members will recall, from the debates on similar motions for approval in 2024, that we are planning to put in place new primary legislation to provide a long-term legislative solution for live links in our courts and tribunals. The Justice Bill was introduced last year and is currently at Committee Stage. Meanwhile, this further extension will allow us to maintain efficacy in the system. It will continue to offer an avenue for wider access to participation in the courts, where a judge is satisfied that it is in the interests of justice.”
“Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I seek the Assembly's approval for the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025. That is SR 2025/61. <BR /> <BR />Article 2 of the order extends the provisions allowing courts and statutory tribunals in Northern Ireland to receive evidence, wholly or in part, using audio or video conferencing systems, which are commonly referred to as live links. It is primarily video systems that are utilised to facilitate the attendance of persons participating in any court or tribunal hearing remotely. The provisions are in addition to legislation that allows the use of a video link for a specific witness or defendant with all other participants attending in the courtroom.”
“It will give the Assembly the opportunity to look at the offence as it comes forward as part of the Committee Stage amendments. To be clear, the Justice Committee has agreed to the revised approach in principle. There will be public consultation on the legislative proposals, so we hope that that will structure the offence to best match Northern Ireland's needs.”
“Neither its revised structure, which would not sit appropriately within our legislative framework, nor the time available before the Bill completes its passage through Parliament allow for its extension to Northern Ireland. It is now my intention to table an amendment, at Consideration Stage, to the Justice Bill, which I introduced to the Assembly last September, to provide for a Northern Ireland-specific deepfake offence that can be structured to ensure that all aspects of the offending behaviour can be captured. That will give the Assembly the opportunity to provide for a robust offence that will criminalise not only the creation of deepfake images but the sharing of them. <BR /> <BR />Such is Mr Buckley's concern for women that he walks out in the middle of an answer on this issue.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. These are issues that are causing serious harm and distress to women across society. Members of the Assembly have been victims of those who perpetrate this despicable behaviour. As Members know, it had been my intention to extend to Northern Ireland, by means of a legislative consent motion, the provisions in the Westminster Crime and Policing Bill for an offence of creation of a deepfake image. However, recent unexpected developments in England and Wales have meant that I have had to reconsider that approach. The UK Government are proceeding with a deepfake offence in the Data (Use and Access) Bill.”
“I thank the Member for the question. It is good to move on to issues that are real challenges in society.”
“How are we going to prove that that person — that male-bodied, male-presenting individual — is not a biological woman? When he can answer that question, he can come back and have another go.”
“It may what the public want to hear, but my duty is not to be a people pleaser. My duty is to uphold the best policies and guidance to ensure the safety and dignity of everyone who is committed to our care in the prisons. I will be informed by the Equality Commission, when it has had an opportunity to reflect on the judgement. To be clear, this is an issue that has caused moral panic. I have a moral duty to ensure that women are safe. I ask the Member to take a moment and explain to those of us who are women and who use the women's toilets how we will be protected from somebody — somebody like himself, if he so wished — who claims to be a trans man and walks into the ladies' toilet. That is what he has been claiming trans women are doing.”
“When we receive advice and guidance about the intersection of the judgement with our local equality laws and duties under section 75, we will review that situation in light of that. However, given the fact that there have been no serious incidents or challenges, I am convinced that we have struck the correct balance to maintain the privacy, dignity and, of utmost importance, safety of all our prisoners in our custody.”
“I have already set out what the judgement does and does not do. It also says that you cannot deny trans people rights of access to basic facilities on the basis that they cannot use the male or the female facilities that are available. The judgement and the Supreme Court were quite clear that this should not, as, unfortunately, some are treating it, be a moment for triumphalism. People are who trans still have protection under the law, as they should. How we house trans prisoners has never been based on self-ID. It has been based on risk assessment. If someone comes to us and identifies as trans, we do a risk assessment to ensure that how and where that prisoner is housed is safe for them and safe for other prisoners and prison officers.”
“Like Ministers in every other Department, I await advice and guidance from the Human Rights Commission on how the judgement of the Supreme Court may impact on processes, guidance and procedures in my Department and in every other Department. However, to be clear, that operational guidance that he speaks about will be a matter for the PSNI Chief Constable, as it is operational, and for the Policing Board, on which his party has members. The Member cannot ask me for my opinion under Standing Orders.”
“It is very clear under Standing Order 19 that Members are not permitted ask a Minister for an opinion. They can ask for an assessment but not an opinion. Let me be clear: the Member asks the question, but the Minister decides what the answer will be, and I will not be confined by Members to saying yes or no. <BR /> <BR />Where the ruling of the Supreme Court on biological sex is concerned, I encourage the Member to read it and to read it in the context in which it applies, which is the interconnection between the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act 2010 does not apply in Northern Ireland.”
“That has been our consistent position since the foundation of the party, and, whatever and whoever the leader of Alliance may be, I assure you that that one certainty will not change.”
“First, I come to the Chamber to answer questions as Minister of Justice, not as leader of the Alliance Party. If the Member wishes to speak to me as leader of the Alliance Party after Question Time, he is, of course, at liberty to do so. However, in my role as Minister of Justice and as leader of the Alliance Party, on this occasion, let me be absolutely clear: no one in Alliance suggested, as he said that Danny "appeared" to do, that there was simply artistic licence. What Danny called out in his tweet was the hypocrisy of those who will meet local terrorist organisations and then denounce those who support international terrorist organisations. That is what Danny called out. However, what we said as a party, which I lead, is that there should be no place for any support for any terrorist group.”
“I am wary of putting families, victims and survivors through a series of hoops that, in the end, may not bring them the satisfaction that they so desperately want or the truth that they so desperately need, but I am certainly not ruling anything in or out at this early stage.”
“It is not for me to call for public inquiries at this time. There has been an extensive investigation by the Police Ombudsman. It is important that we take the time to read that report, reflect on it and then look carefully at what might be gained by further investigation and work in that space. If there are gaps in the understanding as a result of any of those investigations, we will, of course, want to pursue those, but we also need to be clear that simply calling for public inquiry after public inquiry will not necessarily get us a clearer picture if all the avenues of investigation have already been exhausted.”
“We can do that now, and it is important that we take the opportunity to reinforce the fact that people have a right to truth and justice and to a fair hearing. All those things that we try to maintain in the modern-day justice system are important to all of us, and we should not seek to undermine the modern-day justice system on the basis of negative commentary on the past.”
“What happened in the past and the accountability to which people are being held for what happened in the past involved a different service in a different time. It was a time when technology, procedures and operational matters were different. None of that justifies the egregious breaches that took place at that time, but it puts in context the reform that has happened over the past 30-plus years in the justice system. There is a danger that the ombudsman's office, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the justice system more widely will become infected with the criticism of days gone by, when none of us was in the Chamber, none of us was in control of policy and none of us was able to contribute to change.”
“On the day on which the Kingsmills report has been published, my immediate thoughts are with Alan Black and his family. What he suffered is unimaginable. Everyone should take time to reflect not only on the totality of the ombudsman's report but on the dire injuries that he sustained in that attack and the trauma that will have been attached to it. He has been an incredible champion, albeit quietly, for those who lost their lives and those who suffered loss. I pay tribute to him for what he has done in that regard. <BR /> <BR />I do not want to comment on the content of the ombudsman's report: as you will appreciate, I want to reflect on the contents before I do so. However, I will say this in response to the Member's concern: legacy casts a shadow over the modern-day justice system in a way that is neither helpful nor justified.”
“Through assertive outreach, children are supported to receive the help that they require in a way that meets their needs, and that assists in reducing their offending behaviour. The results so far have been really encouraging, and we will be initiating an evaluation of the service later in the year.”
“I am delighted to say that the CAMHS partnership between the Youth Justice Agency and Health and Social Care has now been rolled out across Northern Ireland. I have been able to prioritise £155,000 from within the Department's budget to support it this year, with the rest coming from the Youth Justice Agency's budget and from Health and Social Care. <BR /> <BR />Many children involved in offending behaviour struggle with their mental health. Due to their vulnerabilities and sometimes chaotic lives and family contexts, they also struggle to engage in a consistent way with mainstream child and adolescent mental health services. The new partnership with the Youth Justice Agency takes a different approach.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is genuinely an opportunity, where Members have concerns, such as those that were raised by Mr Butler, and where they see particular patterns from their contact in constituencies, to raise those with the PCSP and to discuss them with the local police. If those patterns can be identified, it can be helpful for them in targeting their resources effectively.”
“The Department, together with the Northern Ireland Policing Board, provides operational funding of about £4·25 million to PCSPs. They play a key role in our operational response to identify and help to address local community safety concerns, including rural crime. <BR /> <BR />In the action plan this year, Lisburn and Castlereagh PCSP outlined key initiatives to help to tackle rural crime, including the promotion of farm watch schemes, trailer marking events and a tracker device scheme. Mid Ulster PCSP has committed to raising awareness of rural crime in its annual action plan, while running a text alert programme. Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon PCSP also promotes farm watch schemes and organises trailer marking events, as well as providing SelectaDNA kits and signage.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is important that people have confidence that, when they call a police officer, the person who responds is there in good faith and is a person of integrity and that they are not exposing themselves further to somebody who may have malign intent.”
“It is not directly linked to rural crime, but I welcome the opportunity to be clear about it. A number of areas need to be looked at. The ombudsman's office is looking at abuse of power as a theme. You will be aware from the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland report of the work that has already been done in that space. <BR /> <BR />There is vetting of those who join the PSNI, and that is one element. There is also internal vetting as people move between different roles and into particular roles where they may come into contact with more vulnerable people. Whilst it does not necessarily fall to the Department to take a lead on that, we are engaging on it with the police, the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (OPONI) and the board.”
“It is clearly something that we are concerned about and want to raise public awareness of. I encourage Members to use some of the tools that are available on the Department's website, in local PCSPs and on the PSNI's website about how to secure your property over the summer period, particularly when you are on holiday, so that it does not look as though it is available for criminals who might wish to target it in your absence.”
“The Member is correct that, when people know that a house is empty, there is an increased tendency for burglary. We see similar patterns before Christmas, when people know that people are storing Christmas presents. It is an opportunistic way of breaking into homes at that time. Through PCSPs and the police, there are lots of opportunities for householders to get advice and guidance on how to secure their properties and how to avoid them looking empty for long periods and, hopefully, to dissuade those who are involved in crime. <BR /> <BR />Burglary and robbery represented about 24% of agricultural crime, not just rural crime, while theft was about 76%. That gives you some idea. Burglary has been between 23% and 36% of rural crime, while theft has tended to make up the rest in that context.”
“<BR /> <BR />At a local level, policing and community safety partnerships (PCSPs) jointly funded by my Department and the Policing Board play a key role in addressing crime, including rural crime, and building confidence locally through engagement and consultation with communities. PCSPs deliver a range of initiatives, such as trailer marking, to raise awareness and support rural communities and businesses to protect their property and goods. I also welcome the downward trend in recorded rural and agricultural crime in recent years, although I note that that tells only one part of a bigger story.”
“<BR /> <BR />Notwithstanding that, a partnership approach is central to addressing all crime, and my Department is committed to working with partners to make Northern Ireland, including rural communities, safer by reducing opportunities to commit crime. My Department chairs the rural crime partnership (RCP), which focuses on developing a collaborative, problem-solving approach to addressing concerns specific to rural areas. The partnership shares information on emerging and/or recurring crimes to support a coordinated response and preventative approach to addressing agricultural crime.”
“The allocation of policing resources in Lagan Valley is entirely a matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board.?I hope that Mr O'Toole is listening, because he missed this earlier. I am committed to respecting the operational responsibility of the Chief Constable and the role of the Policing Board. The Member may therefore wish to direct his question to the PSNI. <BR /> <BR />I am, however, pleased to advise that a business case has been submitted to the Department of Finance to recover workforce levels to 7,000 officers and 2,572 staff over the next three years, which will potentially benefit all constituencies. That case is under active consideration by the Department of Finance.”
“She then worked with the school and the mother to arrange different pickup and drop-off times, breakfast club membership and things like that so that the mother had the confidence to take her child to school, to make that part of his day and to allow him to reintegrate with children in the school. The learning from that will allow us to inform other strategic decisions that we can take in the Department of Health and the Department of Justice on how we better support people.”
“Through those projects, we have been able to find new ways in which we can better support families who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse and better ways in which we can, in particular, provide the support needed by young people, who are often casualties of domestic violence, although they may not be the intended victim. <BR /> <BR />Such abuse can have long-term consequences. I spoke to one of the women who have worked with some of the families, and she told me how some of the children, as a result of domestic abuse and upheaval in the home, had been absent from school for long periods and had started to refuse to go to school. She talked about how she worked with a mother who was afraid to take her child to school, because even the routine of doing that left her feeling exposed to her abusive partner.”