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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“I appreciate the question, and I appreciate the Member not asking me to comment on individual awards under legal aid. However, I understand that, in that case, at least one of the awards was made by a judge rather than by the Legal Services Agency. <BR /> <BR />Publishing a list of barristers is something that we have done in the past to show who the top-ranking barristers are in terms of the receipt of legal aid. It is questionable how much light it shines, because we have to remember that the person who is actually in receipt of the legal aid is their client, not the barrister or the solicitor.”
“<BR /> <BR />The work to analyse, for example, the difference the taxing master can introduce has found that payment to junior counsel in criminal Court of Appeal cases is, on average, nine times greater than what their counterpart in the PPS would receive for the same case. The payment to senior counsel in criminal Court of Appeal cases is six times greater than what PPS counsel would receive. In addition, on average, junior and senior counsel are paid almost twice as much in the criminal Court of Appeal than they would receive for the corresponding Crown Court trial. There are discrepancies in the system that need to be resolved to create a true equality of arms between those acting for the defence and the prosecution.”
“The taxation system is poorly understood. There is a taxing master in Northern Ireland who sets the fees for the cases and, last year, controlled around £37·7 million of expenditure. In other parts of these islands, there are no taxing masters. For example, in England and Wales, the costs can either be assessed by costs officers and costs judges or submitted to the Legal Aid Agency. Regardless of who conducts the assessment, statutory fees are payable, so there is less discretion. In Scotland, the Auditor of the Court of Session has a role similar to that of the taxing master but effectively performs an appellate role, if there is a dispute between the Scottish Legal Aid Board and the Scottish equivalent to our people. In the Republic of Ireland, it is mainly based on standard fees.”
“We must create incentives in the legal aid system to speed up justice, and the Criminal Justice Board has looked at that over a number of months. <BR /> <BR />Finally, with respect to the timeline, I said that this was a multi-year programme. It will depend on the resources that we can get for its implementation. However, a timeline is being provided and an order for the progress that we intend to make set out for the Justice Committee. Once I have acknowledged the Committee's role, because I want to give it primacy in the scrutiny, I will launch that for wider consultation. All Members will have an opportunity to feed into it.”
“First, it is not my justice system; it is your justice system. It belongs to us all, and there is a duty on all of us to take all measures possible to enhance confidence in the system. One of the things in the statement is about statutory registration and the regulatory landscape. I will engage with the Department of Finance on regulation to ensure that there is robust and transparent regulation of the legal profession and to ensure that, where someone is contracted to provide a public service, as they are under legal aid, people can rely on the best support possible. <BR /> <BR />I mentioned in the speech that it is key to ensure that we do nothing in the legal aid system that engenders or rewards delay.”
“I do not want to get into issues around delay and timings, because, as the Member realises, that is sub judice, and a case is currently before the courts. However, it is fair to say that a number of things that I have proposed this morning, including interim payments, would be a significant improvement over the current arrangements, under which a final payment is made for work done. That would improve cash flow, particularly for smaller businesses and those starting out in their career, as cash flow is, perhaps, the biggest challenge that they face.”
“Judge Burgess and I were very clear that the payment is "interim" in the sense that it is on the way to wider reform. It is not "interim" as in a staging post to a further uplift. I want to be clear about that. Tom Burgess is also very clear that that is what the interim payment refers to. It will have to be subject to the normal procurement process. There will have to be a business case that will go through the Department of Finance. Colleagues have already engaged with their Department of Finance colleagues on that. I want to move towards that expeditiously, because I recognise that there is a need to do so. <BR /> <BR />It is, of course, the Department's intention to pay legal aid as promptly as possible.”
“Thank you. A timeline is set out in the plan, which will be circulated to the Committee. The Member will have the opportunity to discuss that with my officials on Thursday afternoon. The plan lays out the order in which we intend to do things and puts some indicative timings beside those things based on what is realistic for delivery. <BR /> <BR />Tom Burgess suggested that the uplift to fees for criminal legal aid should be around 16% in order to take account of inflation since the previous uplift. We looked at that suggestion and other evidence that was before us, and we accept that recommendation from Tom Burgess. However, we also believe that, in order to ensure fairness in the profession, that uplift should apply across criminal and civil legal aid.”
“Delivery will also be contingent on collaboration and cooperation with Executive colleagues, the Justice Committee, the legal profession and community and voluntary sector partners. I trust that you and they are as committed as I am to enhancing access to justice. We have a tangible opportunity to reset the framework for justice delivery and ensure that we have a fairer, more accessible, proportionate, responsive and cost-effective system that places citizens at its heart. I commend the statement to the House.”
“However, my aim is to make the system more sustainable, and I recognise that achieving that may mean upfront investment. <BR /> <BR />Of course, we need to make sure that we invest at the right time and examine issues in the right order. I will shortly consult on the programme implementation plan, which the Committee will have an opportunity to consider this week, to ensure that the proposed sequencing is right and that it properly takes account of interconnectivities. Nevertheless, I intend to move at pace. We do not have the luxury of time if we are to deliver the system that our citizens deserve. Each set of proposals will require detailed consultation and supporting legislative and administrative frameworks to be put in place. We cannot delay the realisation of benefits.”
“I believe that articulating clear overarching principles and enhancing available data will make it easier for us to assess how we are doing, how well we are using resources and how well citizens and justice are being served. <BR /> <BR />Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I am conscious that I have covered a lot of ground, and I thank you for your attention and Members for theirs. The programme is ambitious and wide-ranging, but it is right to be ambitious when, as I said at the outset, so much is at stake for the public purse, for society and for individuals and their families. I do not propose changes lightly, and I do not underestimate the work involved. The programme is necessarily multi-year, and the pace of delivery will be contingent on resource and available funding.”
“MLA colleagues will be aware of the fact that there is no universally accepted definition of the term "access to justice". While there is a general sense that the system should facilitate the right to a fair trial, there are no overarching principles governing the operation of the system, how and when different categories of dispute should be resolved or how resources should be focused. The absence of that definition undoubtedly inhibits assessment of effectiveness. I want to measure, challenge and test what we do. I plan to look at the existing statutory framework for review in order to develop a strategy detailing the principles under which the system should operate and to improve management information on those who use and deliver services.”
“I have every faith that the taxing master delivers their function independently, but the system in which the master operates means that we are unsighted on the detail of that line of expenditure, which is increasing. Between 2015-16 and 2018-19, taxed expenditure for civil legal services was consistently in the region of £20 million per annum. By 2023-24, costs had risen to £37·7 million. I know that all Members will agree that we need to understand why. We need transparency. I will therefore take steps to ensure that all legal aid expenditure comes within the purview of the departmental accounting officer in line with standard practice for managing public funds. I propose to progress that work on a phased basis, starting with High Court bail. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I will take steps to improve assurance on access to justice.”
“I have always been clear in my view that legal aid is part of our welfare system. Contributions should be sought only from those who can truly afford it. Equally, public funds are not unlimited, nor should they be used to engender delay in the system, particularly where that would be at the expense of supporting others and making better use of public resources more generally. I will examine the certification process in order to ensure that the continued availability of legal aid is not at the expense of fair and judicious management of resources. <BR /> <BR />I will also take steps to ensure clarity on how we use resources. The Legal Services Agency (LSA) has no role in the assessment of around £30 million of legal aid expenditure per annum. That spend is instead assessed by the taxing master.”
“I want to look again at the scope of legal aid provision and review merits testing so that I can provide assurances to the House and to those whom we represent that funds are being used to support the most vulnerable. I want to ensure that resources are expended where there is a clear tangible value to the individual and to society. I also want to ensure that the process for making that assessment is simple and clear and allows us to effectively manage public expenditure. <BR /> <BR />Public funding should not displace private funding, so I want to be able to provide assurances in that regard. I will take steps to ensure that those who can afford to contribute to their legal costs do so. I will also ensure that the assessment system is fair and that mechanisms for appealing funding decisions are accessible and robust.”
“There must be a proactive approach to succession planning. Diversity must be promoted and supported. There is a significant role for the profession in ensuring that training models build capacity, support inclusivity and nurture talent. I will also consider what steps I can take to increase viability and to ensure that those who provide public legal services are representative of society, initially by progressing extended rights of audience to increase capacity and by considering whether interim payments might aid the financial viability of smaller firms and career progression for women and younger members of the profession. <BR /> <BR />Ensuring value also bears on our responsibilities as legislators to ensure that resources are used to best effect. Through the reform programme, I will take steps to improve how we manage public funds.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am also persuaded that there is a case for a more immediate increase to fees, and I will take the necessary steps to introduce an uplift at pace. I am further persuaded that that uplift should apply across criminal and civil and family cases. Much has been said recently about the need to increase the fees that are payable for criminal legal aid, but there is also a case for increasing fees for advice and representation in civil and family cases. One of the reasons why I wanted to take that holistic approach was to ensure that issues are not considered in isolation to the detriment of other areas and to ensure fairness across the board. <BR /> <BR />Any uplift will, of course, be subject to affordability. It must also be acknowledged that a robust and enduring profession is not solely contingent on fees.”
“Regulatory measures are already in place, but I want to work with the legal professions and the Minister of Finance to examine whether there are any areas of the framework that might be enhanced to add further confidence. <BR /> <BR />There is also a need to look at how quality service is rewarded. As I mentioned, fair, proportionate remuneration is essential to an effective justice system. I will initiate a root-and-branch review of remuneration in order to examine what work we are asking practitioners to undertake, the added value and the fees that should attach. We have already made good progress through the work that has been undertaken by Judge Burgess and through evidence from other sources, but I plan to establish a reference group to consider how we can further enhance that evidence base.”
“Therefore, I want to look at opportunities to provide specialist tailored supports at the point of entry and to test different delivery models, including contracting, so that users have cohesive services. I plan to focus initially on specific areas and vulnerable groups where there is an immediate need, such as victims of domestic abuse, young people, people in housing distress and asylum and immigration. However, there is potential to extend into other areas. I want to ensure that there is quality service provision through continuous and accelerating improvement. Quality service is also about confidence. It is about assuring those using the service about the advice and representation that they receive and assuring the wider community that publicly funded services provide value for money.”
“That includes providing better, clearer information to demystify the courts and building evidence of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms so that citizens have an informed choice. <BR /> <BR />Remedy does and should extend beyond the formal institutions of the legal system. The needs of those who use the system can often extend beyond advice and representation. Some who encounter the justice system have experienced trauma, have multiple and often complex needs and require a range of supports. There are also areas in which it is difficult to get expert advice. That advice is critical to effective participation and to equal treatment before the law.”
“I will explore the introduction of private financing to support wider access to justice for individuals and other mechanisms that might aid public interest and strategic litigation. That will not only enhance access to justice by increasing the options available but increase choice for the individual. I also want to incentivise early resolution to ensure that process aids efficiency and that form follows function. The Criminal Justice Board is already progressing work to reduce unnecessary delay and enable structured early engagement. Through that programme, I will seek to ensure that remuneration structures support those objectives and that procedures reduce unnecessary delay, encourage early resolution and aid transparency.”
“I want to ensure that legal aid delivers on that first principle of protecting the most vulnerable, so I plan to introduce fairer, simpler eligibility rules that focus resource on the greatest need and the greatest risk of harm. Of course, increasing eligibility comes with a responsibility to ensure that we live within our means. We simply do not have the resources to fund every case, however deserving. Neither can we afford to allow the spend to increase exponentially; the Justice budget certainly will not. <BR /> <BR />I also want to ensure that access to justice and the quality of service are not dependent on whether you have substantial means or whether you qualify for legal aid. A wider range of funding options is available in other jurisdictions.”
“<BR /> <BR />To do that, I propose to progress reform in five key areas, namely improving access to justice; ensuring appropriate quality services; ensuring value; managing public funds; and oversight. I will talk a bit more about my plans in each area, starting with improving access to justice. <BR /> <BR />Many who have sought to navigate the justice system will have had a positive experience, but others have experienced difficulty. Despite the significant and increasing spend on legal aid, some have, disappointingly, found that financial constraints remain a barrier to justice. Our current eligibility tests do not necessarily ensure protection for the most vulnerable: women, children, victims of abuse and those with a disability. In addition, rules governing eligibility are not easily understood. I want to address that.”
“Changes are also required to ensure the long-term viability of the system. Fair, proportionate remuneration is critical to the continued availability of quality legal advice and high-standard representation and to ensuring that justice is served. Remuneration is only one part of how we nurture and attract talent, but it is an important part, and it is clear that fees need to be reset. I have asked questions about that, and I have been listening to and reflecting on what I have heard. The programme that I am announcing today represents the best opportunity to ensure that we effectively meet the needs of our citizens and that the system is sustainable. It represents an opportunity to reset justice delivery for a generation.”
“Given the foundational nature of those reviews, I have sought to revisit what should be the first principle of access to justice and ask whether we are protecting the most vulnerable and whether advice and representation are being provided to those who cannot navigate the system alone and do not have the means to afford advice and representation.”
“I therefore need additional funds to ensure that I can properly protect citizens, ensure that the vulnerable are not at risk and adequately resource police, prisons and justice delivery, not in spite of the pressures facing other Departments but because of them. <BR /> <BR />Delivery models also need to be refined to reflect our financial reality, however. I am cognisant of the need to examine, first, how we use our resources to ensure that delivery models are proportionate and as inexpensive as possible; secondly, why pressures and spend are increasing; thirdly, the benefits accruing from that spend and whether the intended effects are being achieved; and, fourthly, whether having different delivery models might generate better, quicker outcomes.”
“We are already on track to meet that spend again this year, having secured additional funding in the October monitoring round. By way of comparison, however, the opening budget for legal aid when I first took up office in January 2020, which was for the year 2019-2020, was £76·9 million, and we then received in-year funding to raise that to £81·5 million. <BR /> <BR />Legal aid, like other aspects of the justice system, is demand-led. For example, work to increase the throughput of the courts in order to speed up justice will lead to increasing costs associated with legal aid. It also has to be acknowledged that there is increasing demand right across the justice system, reflecting the fact that, all too often, we are the provider of last resort.”
“<BR /> <BR />The nature of the support provided also needs to change. Our understanding of the impact of trauma and adversity is constantly improving, as is our understanding of how such impacts can be mitigated. We now better understand the effects of the adversarial court process. The justice system needs to evolve to reflect that learning in order to ensure that delivery models are tailored to need, that the right supports are available for the right people at the right time and that the system reduces, rather than increases, trauma and stress. <BR /> <BR />Delivery also needs to align with resources. My Department has been consistently underfunded, and pressure on resources is increasing. As I said previously, £114 million was paid to legal professionals in 2023-24: the highest amount in the history of legal aid.”
“We have a strong, independent judiciary, a capable legal profession, hard-working staff in the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) and committed voluntary-sector staff, all of whom are dedicated to ensuring that justice is protected and delivered. Good practice and high-quality services are already in place, but changes are required. Society has evolved. Needs and expectations have changed. Technology is presenting opportunities to deliver services differently, in a way that better meets the needs of users, is more efficient for practitioners and delivers better outcomes at a lower cost. Different approaches can allow disputes to be resolved more quickly and more effectively, and users want more options. They want greater self-efficacy and to be better informed. They want to engage with the system differently.”
“<BR /> <BR />I take this opportunity to record my thanks to Geraldine Hanna, His Honour Judge Burgess and the contributing academics, practitioners and voluntary-sector organisations for their commitment to improving access to justice. In particular, I thank the applicants, defendants, victims and witnesses who took the time to share their experience so that we can improve the system for others. I know that, for some, sharing their experience will have been difficult, but it has been invaluable. <BR /> <BR />What I heard has been, in turn, enlightening, reassuring and disheartening, but it has also been motivating. It is clear that we have a strong foundation on which to build, but it is equally clear that remodelling is required. Evidence has reinforced my long-held view that we have much to laud.”
“Is the system proportionate, viable, sustainable and transparent? Are behaviours and procedures engendering delay? Do we have sufficient assurance on quality? Can we measure the added value of the supports that we are providing? <BR /> <BR />I asked whether justice is being served. To answer those questions, I have taken time to listen and learn from what those using the system tell us about their experience and what those supporting it tell us about the challenges. I am grateful to everyone who shared their experience, particularly those who took the time to respond to the foundational review of civil legal aid, the fundamental review of criminal legal aid and the priority-setting exercise for victims of domestic abuse, which I jointly commissioned with the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime.”
“It is with that in mind that I commissioned the reform programme, enabling access to justice. I want to be sure that we meet the needs of citizens appropriately and that the system is effective in helping people navigate life’s challenges. I am also taking action because we need to ensure that the system is cost-effective and sufficiently transparent. The Public Accounts Committee has had concerns over clarity around legal aid spend. I share those concerns. I am also concerned about increasing financial pressures. <BR /> <BR />In commissioning the programme, I asked a number of questions. Is the justice system meeting the needs of modern society? Is it protecting the vulnerable? Are we providing some services at the expense of other, more valuable, actions? Are we managing our resources well?”
“How access to justice is supported can impact on how people manage and respond to those challenges, helping to determine their life outcomes, the support that they need in the future and how they live and engage with society. How we provide information, support and representation can be critical to ensuring that voices are heard, rights are exercised and protections are secured. It can be critical to ensuring that inequities can be challenged and that decision makers and others are held to account. It can help to determine the longer-term costs of public services such as policing, prisons, benefits and health and support services.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the steps that I am taking to improve access to justice. I do so because I believe that there is an opportunity to reshape how justice is delivered in future in order to ensure a fairer system that is more proportionate and responsive. There has been keen interest in the access to justice programme. I understand and welcome that interest. <BR /> <BR />How we support access to justice can and does shape lives, yet justice rarely gets the attention and funding it deserves. People encounter the justice system when they face challenges: when they are victims of crime; when they are experiencing trauma; when they are dealing with physical and emotional injury; or when they are managing changes to their financial and personal circumstances and their family life.”
“Domestic homicide reviews provide organisations with an opportunity to reflect on policy and procedure and determine whether those can be amended or improved. They are vital because they keep people who are at risk of domestic abuse safer. To date, four executive summaries have been published. Some of their recommendations have already been implemented, and work to implement the remaining ones is under way.”
“I find it slightly ironic that one DUP Member is asking me to spend more on Magilligan while another is asking me to spend less. The simple answer to your question is no, I would not consider it. That is because it is capital investment for Magilligan. That money is being invested in a necessary development that will ensure that we can feed our prison population and train them in hospitality, both of which are essential. We lack two things in legal aid: a sustainable model and revenue funding. It would not be appropriate for me to move capital to revenue.”
“My engagement with the Law Society and the Bar Council is ongoing. I will meet the Bar of Northern Ireland tomorrow, and I met the Law Society last week. As you know, Mr Speaker, I intend to bring a statement to the House in which I will set out my response not only to the Burgess review but to wider issues across the legal aid landscape, not only criminal but family and civil legal aid. It is important that I engage with the sector around that. <BR /> <BR />On payments, through easements in the Department, we have been able to allocate additional resource to the legal aid budget, which means that, as of today, we are about £1 million shy of the maximum spend last year of £114 million, which is the highest spend in any part of these islands.”
“The chief executive and the chief investigator have already received the delegated authority to allow them to release reports. The absence of the ombudsman is therefore not a barrier to the release of reports.”
“The Police Ombudsman has not returned to work at this point. The Department has ongoing conversations with the ombudsman's office to ensure that it has the requisite authorities to be able to continue with its work. At this point, there has been no indication of the date on which the ombudsman will return.”
“Absolutely. When I visit Magilligan, one of the key things that I recognise is that what happens in the prison is not reflected in the estate on which it takes place. There is some excellent, important work happening through the Prison Service on rehabilitation, care for elderly prisoners and support for families, who are not well served by the current estate. We are absolutely committed to maintaining our site at Magilligan. It is an essential part of the estate. I am absolutely convinced that we need to invest significant money in the estate in order to ensure that we have a prison that is fit for purpose and fit for the future. With my colleagues in the Executive, I will seek additional resource for the prison, because, without that, we will not be able to progress.”
“The Member will be aware that we had to split the original business case, which included that work and the kitchen block, in two. We are now advancing the business case for the smaller accommodation block and the kitchen, and we will then look at the larger accommodation block. Those business cases are at the outline stage, but everything is contingent on our receiving the required resources to ensure that we can replace the facilities at Magilligan prison. Those of you who are familiar with Magilligan prison will be aware that, somewhat like Trigger's broom, there is more now holding it together than there is of the original substance of the buildings.”
“It is important that our prisons be properly resourced, because, without the ability to make interventions, provide education and challenge offending behaviour, we will release people back into the community who have not been rehabilitated and not changed their attitudes or behaviours, and that will lead to more victims. It is a wise investment, and it is one that we need to make.”
“My focus and that of the director general is on ensuring that the Prison Service has the resources that it needs to ensure that it can focus on its key priorities, which are keeping people in custody safe and secure, keeping those who work in that environment safe and secure and supporting individuals in their rehabilitation and resettlement after they are released from prison. That is why I approved an increase in officer numbers across the Prison Service by 75. <BR /> <BR />Earlier this month, the Prison Service launched a new recruitment campaign with the intention of employing more than 100 new prison officers.”
“On 1 November 2021, the Northern Ireland prison population was 1,559. On 1 November 2024, it was 1,925, which is an increase of 24%. Although the population position has not become precarious as quickly as we had expected, it remains highly challenging and very finely balanced. Pressures continue to be felt most acutely in Maghaberry prison, where over 450 prisoners share cells daily.”
“<BR /> <BR />We are trying to work our way through such issues. They are not easy to resolve, but it is important that they be resolved. My Department will introduce a small grants scheme in the next few weeks. I encourage organisations that work in that particular space to make an application. Whether it is to do studies on prevalence or to provide front-line support to people, it is something that we are very open to funding.”
“It is not just something that I plan to do but something that I have been doing. At a constituency level, I wrote to the Minister for Communities about the fact that non-resident parents, even if they have shared custody, are entitled to housing benefit for only one additional room in their house by dispensation. If they have three children, all of different sexes, where are they all supposed to go in the one room? It therefore denies men the right to take up their shared custody arrangements as they ought to. There are real issues with our processes and procedures, which need to be more nuanced. The issue for the Housing Executive is that the same people cannot be counted twice. Unfortunately, that needs to happen in blended and separated households if relationships are to be maintained.”
“The Men's Advisory Project (MAP) is a really good example of an organisation that speaks up for and supports men who find themselves in that particular situation. An important issue that has arisen as a result of the research is that a light has been shone on just how few men report domestic abuse. Although 31% of victims of domestic abuse last year were male, we know that only around 50% of them reported it. Sadly, fewer still are willing to make a report to the police and the authorities in order to pursue justice. <BR /> <BR />I understand the frustrations that people have. Getting justice can be daunting and complex, but it is important, because until we hold those who are responsible to account, we will not see a sea change in attitudes and culture.”
“We have good engagement, through our domestic and sexual abuse expert panel, with organisations that support male and female victims of violence. We also take other opportunities to engage with them throughout the year.”
“Where that does not happen and someone comes along with a complaint that they feel that they have been ill served by the justice system, I ask Members to do this: make them familiar with the Victim Charter and the Witness Charter, and, if you feel that they have been let down, make a complaint.”
“One thing that I have done is ensure that the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime can attend the quarterly meetings of the Criminal Justice Board so that, as we discuss the changes that we wish to make to the justice system to improve access, speed up justice and introduce new protocols, we ensure that victims are not peripheral but at the heart of what we do. <BR /> <BR />Relationships in the justice organisations are less of an issue, perhaps, than some of the barriers that we face through discontinuity in our IT systems and other practical measures. There is also an independence issue that limits what the Department can do beyond encouraging and incentivising that cooperation. I find those who sit around the table at the Criminal Justice Board to be fully committed to making the journey for victims as seamless as possible.”