Minutes of Proceedings - 24 April 2001

Present:Mr Alban Maginness, Chairperson
Mr Alex Attwood 
Mr Billy Bell 
Mr S Close 
Mr W Clyde 
Mr B Douglas 
Mr David Ervine 
Mr G Kane 
Mr P McNamee 
Ms S Ramsey

In Attendance:Mr Tony Logue, Committee Clerk
Mrs Valerie Artt
Mr Damien McVeigh

Apologies:Sir John Gorman

Mr Maginness took the Chair at 11 38pm in private session.

1. Apologies

1.1 The apology was noted. Mr Bell agreed to pass on to Sir John and his wife the Committee's best wishes in view of Lady Gorman's illness.

2. Chairperson's business

2.1 The Chairperson informed members that Mr Watson had resigned from the Committee and has been replaced by Mr Boyd Douglas. The Chairperson welcomed Mr Douglas to the Committee.

3. Draft Minutes of Proceedings

3.1 The Minutes of Proceedings for Monday, 2 April 2001 were agreed and signed.

4. Matters arising

4.1 The Chairperson referred members to the decision at the previous meeting to consider further whether the Committee should allow members to use deputies to attend Committee meetings in their place. The Committee agreed, in view of the unavoidable unavailability of the two representatives of the Ulster Unionist Party over the next few weeks, that deputies could be used if necessary.

4.2 Members discussed a memorandum from the Committee Clerk, detailing the progress on securing the witnesses agreed by the Committee. The Committee agreed in principle to accept the invitation of the Criminal Assets Bureau to visit their premises in Dublin. The proposed schedule of evidence sessions was agreed.

4.3 The Committee agreed to write to the Law Society of Northern Ireland to invite a written submission to the Committee.

5. Correspondence

5.1 The Committee noted the correspondence from the Committee on the Administration of Justice. It is understood that the Committee for the Administration of Justice and its sister organisation Liberty will respond directly to the Home Office by the deadline of 29 May 2001.

5.2 The Committee noted that the Secretary of State had been informed by the Speaker of the Assembly that the timetable for consultation did not allow sufficient time, not only for the Assembly to carry out a full consultation exercise, but for outside organisations to give their considered views.

The meeting was opened to the public at 11 38pm.

6. Evidence from the NI Human Rights Commission

6.1 The Committee heard evidence from Professor Brice Dickson, Chief Commissioner and Mr Ronan Deazley, Education Co-worker of the NI Human Rights Commission on the draft Proceeds of Crime Bill. The presentation was followed by a Question and Answer session. [The entire proceedings are recorded separately in verbatim minutes of evidence.]

Mr A Attwood joined the meeting at 12 23 pm.
Ms S Ramsey left the meeting at 12 30 pm.
Mr A Attwood left the meeting at 12 31 pm.

7. Any other business

7.1 None.

8. Date and time of next meeting

8.1 The Committee agreed that it would next meet on Thursday, 26 April 2001 at 9.30am in the Senate.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12 47.

Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Chairperson, Ad Hoc Committee

24 April 2001