Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened at 10.40am in closed session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 12 February 2008

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2008.

3. Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice

The following interests were declared:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

• Member, Her Majesty’s Privy Council
• Member , Northern Ireland Policing Board

Ian McCrea:

• Member, Cookstown District Policing Partnership

10.44am George Robinson joined the meeting

3.1 Outstanding Matters

3.1.1 NIO Letter 14 February 2008: Prosecution Policy

Members noted the NIO letter of 14 February 2008 which provided clarification on the roles and responsibilities in relation to prosecution policy.

3.1.2 NIO Letter 14 February 2008: Issues to be addressed

Members noted the second NIO letter of 14 February which provided clarification on a number of outstanding issues raised by the Committee regarding:

10.47am Carmel Hanna joined the meeting

• Responsibility for sentencing policy
• The status and make up of the Criminal Justice Board
• Funding of the Office of Attorney General for Northern Ireland
• The role of the Advocate General in relation to oversight of ‘excepted’ matters
• Responsibility for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel

3.1.3 Northern Ireland Police Fund

Members noted the NIO letter of 15 October 2007 which stated that the Northern Ireland Police Fund will transfer to the Department.

Agreed: That the Northern Ireland Police Fund should transfer according to the arrangements set out in the NIO letter of 15 October 2007.

3.1.4 Judicial Appointments Ombudsman

Members noted the OFMdFM letter of 7 January 2008 which stated that the Judicial Appointments Ombudsman will transfer to the Department and not to OFMdFM as was originally proposed in the NIO Discussion Paper (February 2006).

11.00am Danny Kennedy joined the meeting

Agreed: That the Judicial Appointments Ombudsman should transfer as proposed in the OFMdFM letter of 7 January 2007.

11.03am Alex Attwood left the meeting

3.2 Draft Report on the ‘Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice’

11.06am Alex Attwood joined the meeting

3.2.1 Timing

Members discussed the current timeline for debate and publication of the draft report.

Agreed: That the Business Committee would be asked to consider scheduling the debate on the report in the week beginning 10 March.

3.2.2 The draft report

Members considered, paragraph by paragraph, the draft report on the ‘Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters’.

Agreed: without prejudice to further party consultation on the draft report:

• Paragraphs 1-5, read and agreed
• Paragraph 6, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraphs 7-12, read and agreed
• Paragraph 13, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraphs 14-20, read and agreed
• Paragraph 21, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraph 22, read and agreed

11.45am Danny Kennedy left the meeting

• Paragraphs 23-30, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraph 31, Sinn Féin advised that further party consultation was required on this matter and that they would revisit this paragraph at the next meeting.
• Paragraphs 37-38, read and agreed
• Paragraphs 32-36, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraph 39, read and agreed

12.28pm Ian McCrea left the meeting

• Paragraph 40 deleted
• Paragraph 41, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraphs 42-43, read and agreed as amended

12.35pm Ian McCrea joined the meeting

• Paragraph 44, read and agreed
• Paragraphs 45-47, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraph 48, read and agreed
• Paragraphs 49-52, read and agreed as amended

The meeting was suspended at 1.30pm and recommenced at 1.45pm

1.48pm Nelson McCausland left the meeting

• Paragraphs 53-55, read and agreed
• Paragraphs 56-58, read and agreed as amended

1.55pm Nelson McCausland joined the meeting

• Paragraphs 59-60, read and agreed
• Paragraphs 61-63, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraph 64, read and agreed
• Paragraphs 65, read and agreed as amended
• Paragraph 66, agreed that the Clerk would re-draft this paragraph for consideration at the next meeting
• Paragraph 67, read and agreed

2.36pm Nelson McCausland left the meeting

• Paragraphs 68-71, read and agreed as amended

Agreed:

• That the Clerk would prepare a revised draft of the report and distribute to Members on Thursday 21 February for consideration at next week’s meeting.

4. Speakers Reception

Members were reminded that a reception was due to take place that night in the Great Hall at 6.30pm to mark Criminal Justice week.

5. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 26 February at 10.30am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.46pm.

RT HON JEFFREY DONALDSON, MP
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee
26 February 2008