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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“In addition to the support services available to all civil servants and in recognition of the front-line challenging role of prison officers, the Northern Ireland Prison Service provides additional support to officers through the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust (PRRT).”
“The work of prison officers is challenging, complex and often overlooked, but it is critical to the safety and security of Northern Ireland and of people who are held in custody. In 2020, there were 32 assaults on staff; in 2021, there were 71; in 2022, there were 66; in 2023, there were 59; and, in 2024, there were 96. The Prison Service's experience is that a higher population and crowding are the most significant factors contributing to prison instability, incidents and violence. <BR /> <BR />Any assault on a prison officer is unacceptable, and the Prison Service continues to maintain a clear focus on the safety of staff at establishments.”
“I do not believe that the extension is necessary either, but I will sit down tomorrow, and we will work through this, because it is in all our interests, including those of the criminal Bar, that we bring it to a conclusion.”
“<BR /> <BR />We have to look at what Tom Burgess recommended, and we have to get it delivered. I have said that we will do that as quickly as possible. We then have to get people back to work, because, at the core of all this, victims are being retraumatised by delay in the criminal justice system. People are using the Crown Court — we are talking about rape victims and the families of murder victims — and waiting for trials to take place. It is incredibly retraumatising for them to be told that their case is not only adjourned but indefinitely adjourned because there is no end in sight. <BR /> <BR />I want to bring this to a conclusion. I do not believe that strike action was necessary, given that I was about to publish my intentions. We have moved some considerable distance since I did so.”
“The intention is that the secondary legislation that underpins that will complete its passage by May. As you know, I have foreshortened the consultation on it to eight weeks because it is a targeted consultation, given that it affects a narrower group of people. We will have further conversations tomorrow about the commencement date for the 16% uplift. It is important to recognise, however, that I did not pluck the figure of 16% from the air. That is a recommendation that was based on evidence in the Burgess review report. Those who are now telling me that it is a paltry sum, that it should be discounted and that I should go with some other, more inflated figure therefore need to come to the point of realisation that, without an evidential basis, that is not on the table.”
“I respect the need for us to have a thriving legal profession. It is about striking the balance in the right place, however, and not letting anyone who may have a pecuniary interest in legal aid to dictate the terms for how we provide it.”
“No, that refers not to the PPS but to other ways in which we can deliver front-line justice. Many organisations, particularly third-sector organisations, offer competent legal advice in a structure that is different from that which we normally focus on with individual legal practices. We want to make sure that their voices are also heard in the conversation. We have talked about the Burgess review report. That was only one element of a number of reviews of civil and criminal legal aid. Throughout the process, the professions, other providers and, crucially, the public have been involved. <BR /> <BR />At the end of the day, I am not the employer of the professions. I am there to provide legal aid to the citizen so that they can employ someone to represent them in court. It has to be about what is best for the citizen.”
“That is part of the reform that I want to make so that we can account for public money in a way that the public can see; we have full insight into the mechanisms that are being used to grant legal aid, whether by the courts or the Legal Services Agency; and that we have confidence that money is reaching the people who are in greatest need at the point of their greatest need.”
“There has been a significant reduction in fraud and error in the legal aid budget in recent years, and our accounts have made great progress over that time by bearing down on the elements of the legal aid system where there are errors. In the majority of cases, by the way, it is error rather than fraud. It is also important, as part of the enabling access to justice programme that I have just spoken about, that we take all the opaque aspects of the legal aid system and shine the light of transparency and accountability into them in a way that has not been able to happen previously.”
“However, when you seek to meet someone halfway, it is important that that person does not regress from their position if you are going to have any success. Hopefully, tomorrow, we will be in a position to close the gap rather than simply move the gap to a different place.”
“The original demands were for the Burgess review report to be published, and it has been published. I was then asked to provide whatever uplift Burgess asked for, and I have said that 16% will be provided. I cannot do that immediately, which is the latest request. It is impossible to provide it immediately, but I can provide it. Another ask was to implement the recommendations of the Burgess review, and, if you look at the wider enabling access to justice landscape, you will see that that has been met. Indeed, one of the reasons why I delayed going out to consultation from December until this month was to take account of concerns that the criminal Bar had raised about some of the measures that we were proposing in the programme. I have adjusted the programme to take account of that to try to get a resolution.”
“I will answer those questions in reverse. The social value of legal aid is that is provides access to justice for those who could not otherwise afford to access justice. I see it as being part of the welfare system and the security net that is provided for our citizens. Therefore, it is important that we are able to ensure that it is directed to the most needy and vulnerable at the right point in time. <BR /> <BR />The Department and I have had ongoing engagement with the criminal Bar over recent weeks and months. I will meet representatives of the Law Society and, indeed, criminal solicitors tomorrow. I will also meet representatives of the criminal Bar tomorrow afternoon. My objective is to bring the action to a close because I believe that we have moved some considerable way.”
“I thank the Member for the opportunity to provide clarification. The answer is no it has not. When I launched the programme in December, I noted my intention to progress a fees uplift as soon as possible and to consult on the proposed uplift in January, with a view to implementing the changes in May. There is a significant amount of work involved, and the timetable is ambitious, but I have committed resources to ensure that it can be achieved, with the publication of the fees consultation last week remaining on track to deliver on that schedule.”
“I am conscious that each set of proposals in the plan will require detailed engagement and supporting legislative and administrative frameworks, so we cannot delay the realisation of the benefits if we are to seize the opportunity that the reform programme presents to ensure a fairer, more accessible, proportionate, responsive and cost-effective system that places the citizen at its heart.”
“Work has progressed at pace since I announced the programme on 2 December, and I have now published the programme delivery plan for consultation. The consultation will be critical in ensuring that we examine issues in the right order and properly take account of interconnectivities. I have been clear, however, that we do not have the luxury of time if we are to deliver the system that our citizens deserve, and I intend to make progress wherever possible while the consultation is ongoing. That includes steps to give effect to an uplift in fees for publicly funded advice and representation, the consultation on which also launched last week. I have prioritised that work to ensure the continued viability and stability of the system, but other actions will follow and follow quickly.”
“The Health Minister, the Education Minister and I jointly launched a strategy to deal with that issue because we recognised that many of those vulnerabilities will often present in either a healthcare or school setting, and it is important that people fully understand the kinds of red flags that they should watch out for.”
“The Executive-wide programme includes work that goes on in schools, and, indeed, there are many good initiatives in the school system on tackling paramilitarism, particularly those that look at trauma-informed approaches. I can think of two clear examples. The first one is the trauma-informed approach in the Encompass programme, where we inform schools if a child has been subject to a domestic abuse incident or has been in a household in which a domestic incident occurred overnight so that that child will receive a more trauma-informed response when they arrive at school. The second one is the work that is being done on child criminal and sexual exploitation.”
“At the moment, EPPOC is the sole funder of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland's work on developing trauma-informed approaches across the system and has been briefing all parties and the Justice Committee on what has been learnt through the programme. That applies to paramilitary harm, but it goes much wider than that. On 6 February, we will plug a significant gap in our knowledge when EPPOC launches the findings of new, groundbreaking research into the prevalence of trauma in the adult population in Northern Ireland. I will attend the launch, and all other Ministers have been invited. I encourage all Members to attend the launch and/or read the report and its findings when available. Our challenge will then be to develop a comprehensive response that matches the scale of the needs identified.”
“That is most acutely felt across the justice, education and health and social care sectors. The Executive programme on paramilitarism and organised crime has led the way on championing a trauma-informed Northern Ireland and for trauma to feature in the Programme for Government. <BR /> <BR />It is not just about providing specialist services. We all need some understanding of trauma and how it affects our decision-making and perspectives, as well as how it affects our communities and public-sector workforces.”
“As Justice Minister, I am acutely aware of the daily and cumulative impact of trauma, because the justice system is often the place of last resort for people and communities with trauma. Justice agencies such as the Youth Justice Agency and the Probation Board are leading the way in showing how to adopt trauma-informed approaches in specialist services. That includes rethinking how we make every point of contact with service users an opportunity for support rather than potential re-traumatisation. That is essential, if we want to stop the revolving door of hurt and futility that passes through generations affected by trauma. It also matters because trauma — complex trauma, in particular — is costly: adverse childhood experiences alone cost Northern Ireland an estimated £1·3 billion annually.”
“I was clear in my statement that, while I welcome the fact that the criteria for extra points relating to paramilitary harm have been changed to reflect the wider harms that happen in our society, such as domestic violence and sexual abuse, which were very much a secondary consideration when it came to claiming points for homelessness, I recognised the importance of ensuring that people are no longer being driven from their homes by such organisations or individuals. The Executive now need to focus on how we can ensure that people can remain in their home safely rather than allow individuals to dictate where and when people can live at peace and get on with their lives.”
“There are, however, things that we can do and are doing in the meantime, including providing bespoke support to members of ethnic minority groups and different racial groups in society and giving reassurance through the work that the Department is doing more widely to combat those ills.”
“As the Member knows, paramilitaries will act under any banner that allows them to justify their existence to a local community or to pretend that they are protagonists acting on behalf of that community. The truth is that they feed off the misery in those communities. The Member will also be aware that I intend to implement the aggravator model, which Judge Marrinan recommended in his report on hate crime, as part of the sentencing Bill that we hope to introduce in the autumn of this year. The following year, we hope to introduce legislation on victims and witnesses of crime that will see more protections for vulnerable victims and witnesses extended to victims of hate crime.”
“Without doubt, the reach of harm that paramilitaries inflict on our communities is extensive and wide-ranging. The Member has namechecked a number of the most common types. Of course, it is not limited to those. We know that child sexual and criminal exploitation, among many other things, is a feature of paramilitaries in our community. Ultimately, whilst I want to reduce the harm of paramilitaries in communities, I want more than anything to end the existence of paramilitaries in our community. That is a permanent solution to what we face as a community, and it needs to be accelerated.”
“They work as navigators, engaging young people when they first arrive at the hospital and through community-based follow-up. <BR /> <BR />As well as the work to change the language around paramilitary violence, the programme helps to raise awareness of the specific nature of the trauma caused by paramilitaries. That may mean that more service providers are better able to identify those requiring specific help and support.”
“Since 2021, the programme has developed and tested a range of interventions involving over 2,500 victims of paramilitary harm who have been directly supported by the programme. That is helping to break the victim-perpetrator cycle for future generations. Key interventions include the Insync project, the first bespoke service designed for victims of paramilitary-style attacks. It was commissioned by EPPOC in 2022 and is delivered by NIACRO. As well as providing support for victims of paramilitary violence, it is actively learning about effective approaches and informing work on tackling violence and paramilitarism more generally. The hospital-based Connect project for youth work places youth workers in three hospital emergency departments.”
“Over the last eight years, EPPOC has been testing innovative interventions aimed at tackling paramilitary harm in the here and now and breaking the cycle of violence for future generations. Those interventions include those that support victims of paramilitary harm, improving outcomes for individuals and helping to break the victim-perpetrator cycle. Targeted youth work that is delivered in a variety of ways, including through street-based initiatives and even in emergency departments, and help to prevent young people at risk of paramilitary exploitation and abuse from becoming engaged in criminality in the first place are just some of the structures that we have put in place.”
“At the outset, I record my condemnation of the two most serious recent paramilitary-style shootings that occurred: one of a teenager in Ards, the other of a pensioner in Coleraine. Such barbaric brutality has no place in our community. Those attacks must stop. <BR /> <BR />Statistics provided by the PSNI indicate that, in 2024, there were 28 casualties of paramilitary-style attacks, a significant reduction from the 50 recorded in 2023. Within that, there were five casualties of paramilitary-style shootings, approximately a quarter of the number that occurred in 2023. <BR /> <BR />Whilst there is likely to be a range of factors affecting the reduction, I must commend the Executive programme on paramilitarism and organised crime (EPPOC) on the work being done to address this complex societal and generational issue.”
“The new pilot will provide support to some of the most vulnerable of children and marks another important step towards improving victims' experiences in sexual offence cases and helping them to navigate the criminal justice system. One key benefit is that free advice on the criminal justice system will be available even prior to any offence being reported, which will help victims to make informed decisions and may help to increase reporting.”
“The Member will be aware that I am keen to extend the service to young people. I am delighted to be able to update Members on that: later this week, in partnership with Victim Support NI, I will officially launch the children's sexual offences legal adviser scheme. The scheme has been specifically designed to meet the needs of child complainants in serious sexual offence cases and will run for an initial two-year pilot phase. The new children's service will run in tandem with the adult SOLA service until March 2027, when both pilots will be fully evaluated to inform the development and procurement of mainstream services.”
“In November 2024, I announced the extension of the adult sexual offences legal adviser — SOLA — pilot scheme for a further two years until 31 March 2027. The SOLA service is available to all adult complainants in serious sexual offence cases up to the point of trial and has provided free, independent legal advice to 2,000 complainants since its launch in April 2021. The pilot service, which is delivered by Victim Support NI, was initially established for two years with the option to extend in order to test the arrangements further. <BR /> <BR />My Department is also consulting on legislative proposals for inclusion in a victims and witnesses of crime Bill that would allow SOLAs to provide representation for complainants at court pre-trial in certain circumstances. I encourage all those with an interest to respond to those proposals.”
“It is hugely important that we engage with the family. We have been doing that when looking at the terms of reference for the review and at how we intend to move forward with that. It is important that Katie's family are at the very heart of the review. They feel that their questions have not yet been answered and, indeed, that more questions have arisen than answers provided. I want the independent reviewer to be in a position to engage with Katie's family as a priority as the work commences.”
“Not only is compliance essential; it is the very least that we can expect from the public bodies that were involved at any stage with Jonathan Creswell, Katie Simpson or any of Jonathan Creswell's alleged previous victims. I expect that key agencies will want to engage positively and constructively with the review, so I welcome the feedback that my Department has already received from agencies on their involvement.”
“With respect to my jurisdiction, I can go only so far with the review. I am clear, however, that it needs to operate on a multi-agency basis. I have already named the primary agencies: the PSNI, the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland and the Western Health and Social Care Trust. However, other organisations represented on the public protection arrangements Northern Ireland (PPANI) or the multi-agency risk assessment conferencing (MARAC) arrangements, which are aimed at supporting victims, may also be invited to participate in the review at the discretion of the reviewer.”
“<BR /> <BR />In addition, my Department has engaged with a prospective independent reviewer who, I am confident, will take the review forward in a sensitive and comprehensive way. I intend to write to the Justice Committee shortly to confirm the final terms of reference and to provide details of the reviewer.”
“Members will be aware that, on 13 January, I committed to a bespoke review of the Jonathan Creswell case. It is vital that we understand and learn from the case in terms of both safeguarding victims and managing offenders. I am keen that the review begin as swiftly as possible. To that end, my Department has prepared draft terms of reference for the review. I have written to the Chief Constable, the chief executive of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) and the chief executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust to share and invite comment on the terms of reference and confirm their organisations’ involvement in the review. The Prison Service is also committed to engaging in that exercise. I am reflecting on the feedback received to date.”
“In conclusion, the judiciary, PPS and PSNI do not decide where prisoners go. The motion is fundamentally flawed.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Prison Service engages regularly with the Equality Commission and other appropriate organisations to facilitate the delivery of training to prison staff. It also works on an ongoing basis to ensure that the rights of women are respected and protected. To that end, a women's safety officer was appointed at Hydebank Wood women's prison in October 2019 to enhance the support available to women in custody. Many people come into prison with a range of unmet needs, contributed to by social exclusion, wider societal issues and inaccessibility of services in the community, particularly health and mental health services, or failure to access those services.”
“Prisons undertake that to ensure that prisoners, many of whom are vulnerable, can fully engage in the regime without detriment to their safety. Equally importantly, they seek to do so without detriment to the rights, safety or dignity of other prisoners. The assessment includes members of the health team, and it is close to Maurice Bradley's description of what he would like to see in prisons. Perhaps, when he takes himself to the Library and reads the policy, he will be reassured that we take a multidisciplinary approach. However, the motion today, if he and his colleagues support it, would mean the opposite of a risk-based approach, which is the very approach that Maurice Bradley said was the right way to go.”
“In general, when a person who is transgender is committed to an establishment as directed by the court, the Prison Service will consider their specific needs on a case-by-case basis in line with best practice. In doing so, it takes a person-centred and risk-based approach to decisions on accommodation and care, informed by advice from colleagues in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. Under the guidance, specific arrangements can be made in respect of where the person is accommodated and how they access services in prison. <BR /> <BR />To be clear, the argument put forward by Mr Beattie that people were simply released into general population on every occasion is a nonsense. Of course that would not always be appropriate; it may never be appropriate. It will depend on a risk-based assessment of the individual.”
“That is where their intellectual curiosity led. The policy is far from opaque; it is available in the Library. I hope that people will read it. Indeed, to be fair to Mr Gaston, I believe that he quoted from it today. He has paid attention to what is happening on the issue. That is the only credit that I am likely to throw in his direction in this debate”
“<BR /> <BR />"Guidance on the care and management of transgender prisoners" was subsequently implemented by the Prison Service in August 2020. Far from being opaque, the policy has been available for anyone who wished to request a copy of it, read it, talk to me about it or talk to Prison Service about it. Interestingly, the only enquiry that we had was a question from Mr Gaston that came after the motion was tabled. No other Member asked to see that information or requested a copy. That is how concerned they are about the policy.”
“<BR /> <BR />This should be done on a case-by-case basis. There is no point tutting: when you raise those issues in the manner in which you have without seeking the facts or seeking to inform your position, it can be seen only as a cheap shot and not as an informed contribution to the discussion. <BR /> <BR />Following the deaths of two transgender prisoners in English prisons and the issues in Scottish prisons that have been referred to in the debate, a decision was taken to put in place a formal process and take on board the learning from both, because, of course, the problem in Scotland was that a black-and-white approach was adopted. It should never have been adopted and will never be adopted by the Northern Ireland Prison Service.”
“They know what they are doing and are informed in order to be able to do it. <BR /> <BR />It is for that very reason that, some years ago, we completed a review of the procedures for managing transgender individuals, following engagement with the Equality Commission and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. Prior to that time and in line with the views of previous Ministers of Justice, Prison Service had a long-standing practice in place to deal with transgender and, indeed, intersex prisoners. Let us remember that not everyone who does not fit neatly into the categories of male or female has made a decision to transition; some who are born intersex may also end up in the prison system and need to be housed safely. That also needs to be considered by those who want to play out culture wars.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is odd that this is the first time that we have had a debate about the welfare of inmates in our prison system. It is the first time that we have had the opportunity to talk specifically about that beyond healthcare matters. The wider issues of safety, security and dignity in our prisons have not been raised in the Chamber for debate previously. In that context, it is interesting that we are having the debate in this way. In my time visiting prisons, I have spoken to many of the women who have been discussed here today. I have spoken to the women in the women's prison and have listened to them. Many of them recount to me that they feel safer there than pretty much anywhere else that they have been in their recent lives. That stands as a testament to the fact that our prison officers know their job.”
“Therefore, whilst there is a point-of-time risk assessment for the initial committal, that is not where responsibility for the risk assessment of a prisoner ends. It is foolhardy to suggest that you could, by legislation, in the way in which it has been suggested, manage that ongoing risk in a meaningful way as a person transitions through the justice system, with different levels of risk and different levels of challenge attendant to their case. From my many visits to prisons and discussions with prison staff and management, I know how seriously they treat those responsibilities and the efforts that they invest in getting it right. I provide the assurance that is, I trust, being sought that the rights, safety and dignity of every prisoner are taken seriously by Prison Service.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, that applies not just to matters of gender identity; it applies to ethnicity, socio-economic status, health, disability, age, sexual orientation and many other matters. To manage the risks and needs of an individual who comes into contact with the justice system will almost always require consideration of a complex combination of factors unique to each case. In many ways, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has one of the most challenging roles in that work, as its engagement with individuals is likely to be for months or years rather than hours or days. It is not a one-off risk assessment; it is an ongoing process for anyone in the justice system. Their development and behaviour in the system inform that ongoing risk assessment.”
“Every day, across the justice system, we expect and trust the independent judiciary, the Police Service, the Prison Service and others to consider the risks and needs of the individuals for whom they are responsible. We ask those professionals to make decisions in context, taking into account the complex individual circumstances and wider public safety considerations, in order to manage that risk. That is their job. I, for one, find it incredibly depressing that, despite the fact that the Prison Service has managed to do that so successfully over recent years without serious incident or cause for alarm, we find ourselves second-guessing the policy approach that it has taken. They are professional people who live to protect the people in their care as well as their colleagues and the public.”
“Yet, a number of Members erroneously stated that in the Chamber again today. If I, as a Minister, came to the Chamber and misrepresented facts, knowingly misrepresented facts, I would have to come back and apologise to the House for misleading it. Yet, Members will stand up in the Chamber and misrepresent facts, despite the fact that they were brought to their attention in the Chamber last week, and nothing happens. People can essentially insinuate and smear without having facts. That is a risky approach to take. <BR /> <BR />My Department and the wider justice system are keenly focused on ensuring that the safety, security, rights and dignity of every individual who comes into contact with the justice system are upheld.”
“<BR /> <BR />I took the opportunity last week at Question Time to set the record straight about that case, given that it was already in the public domain. However, I will do so again, because, despite my explicitly setting out the facts, none of those professing concern about the issue seem to have taken on board anything that was said in the Chamber last week. There was no ruling against the Department. There was no finding that the Department did not have a policy. In fact, the judge did not respond to the writ of habeas corpus but said that it was appropriate and right that it should be left to the Department to process a prisoner through the system in the normal way. That is what happened, in effect. To be clear, there has been no judgement against the Department's policy and no ruling against the Department's policy.”