Committee for Justice

Minutes of proceedings 10 April 2025

Committee for Justice minutes of proceedings 10 April 2025.pdf (183.09 kb)

Room 30, Parliament Buildings, Belfast

Present:                   

Deirdre Hargey MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Danny Baker MLA

Maurice Bradley MLA

Stephen Dunne MLA

Connie Egan MLA

Ciara Ferguson MLA

Present by Video or Teleconference:

Doug Beattie MLA

Justin McNulty MLA

Apologies:              

Joanne Bunting MLA (Chairperson)

In Attendance:       

Kathy O’Hanlon (Assembly Clerk)

Thomas McKillop (Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Jonny Redpath (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Stephen Corr (Clerical Supervisor)

Aaron Pakenham (Clerical Officer)

The meeting commenced at 1.56pm in public session.

Agreed:   That the oral evidence sessions with the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly and the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the Justice Bill would be recorded by Hansard.

Danny Baker declared an interest in relation to an immediate family member who works for the Probation Board for Northern Ireland.

The Deputy Chairperson noted that a number of Committee Members are members of the All Party Group on Access to Justice.

1.      Apologies

As above.

2.      Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 3 April 2025.

3.      Matters Arising

There were no matters arising

4.      Justice Bill — Northern Ireland Youth Assembly oral evidence

The following witnesses from the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly joined the meeting at 1.59pm:

• Ciaran Creber;
• Brooke Ewing;
• James Maginn;
• Matthew Moore; and
• Cara Ní Cheallaigh.

The witnesses were joined by Northern Ireland Youth Assembly Co-ordinator Claire Torley.

The witnesses provided oral evidence on the Justice Bill, with particular reference to Part 1 — Biometric Data: Retention Etc and Part 2 — Children.

The oral evidence was followed by a question-and-answer session.

The Members of the Youth Assembly agreed for their submission to be shared with VOYPIC and Include Youth.

The oral evidence session was reported by Hansard.

The Deputy Chairperson thanked the witnesses and they left the meeting at 2.37pm.

Agreed: To consider agenda item 6: Justice Bill — written papers next.

5.      Justice Bill — written papers

5.1 — Note of informal meeting with the Minister of Justice on 1 April 2025 regarding legislative provision for a deepfake offence

The Deputy Chairperson reminded Committee Members that she and the Chairperson held an informal meeting with the Minister of Justice on 1 April 2025 to discuss potential options to make legislative provision for a deepfake offence in Northern Ireland. The Minister indicated that her preferred option is to include such provision by way of a further amendment to the Justice Bill at Consideration Stage.

The Deputy Chairperson informed Members that, given that consultation on the policy for a deepfake offence will be required before the amendment can be drafted, it is highly unlikely that the Committee will be able to take the same approach as it did to the scrutiny of the other proposed amendments, which were included in the Call for Evidence on the Bill.

Agreed: To ask the Department of Justice to clarify the timescales for the consultation process and the subsequent drafting of the amendment in order to help inform the Committee’s approach to scrutiny of this matter.

Agreed: To schedule an oral briefing with Department of Justice officials on the draft consultation before it is launched to ensure that Members are fully informed at each stage of the process.

Agreed: That, in principle, the Committee is content with the Minister’s preferred option to include provision for a deepfake offence in the Justice Bill by way of an amendment at Consideration Stage, subject to the Committee being afforded the opportunity to conduct proper scrutiny.

5.2 to 5.26 — Justice Bill: Call for Evidence responses

The Deputy Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee’s Call for Evidence on the Justice Bill closed on 4 April 2025.

The Deputy Chairperson advised Members that a number of oral evidence sessions on the Justice Bill have been scheduled for May; that the Committee Clerk will provide a paper after Easter recess with options for further oral evidence sessions; and that Members should review the submissions received and consider which organisations or individuals they would like the Committee to consider taking oral evidence from.

The Deputy Chairperson advised Members that part of the submission from the National Crime Agency was marked “Official-Sensitive” and it will therefore not be published online and should not be circulated by Committee Members.

Agreed: To note the submissions received as part of the Committee’s Call for Evidence on the Justice Bill. 

6.      Justice Bill — Police Service of Northern Ireland oral evidence

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally and Jeff Logan, Grade 7, PSNI, joined the meeting at 2.45pm.

The witnesses provided oral evidence on the Justice Bill.                          

During the evidence session, the witnesses agreed to provide:

• a copy of the draft service instruction relating to the release of images and details of when it is legitimate, proportionate and necessary to do so;
• information on what other legislation could be used to deal with any gap left or the unintended consequences of the repeal of vagrancy legislation, including options available in other jurisdictions that would be useful to have in Northern Ireland; and
• clarification of the PSNI’s views or if it would be content for the Injury on Duty scheme to be transferred from the Northern Ireland Policing Board to the PSNI.

The oral evidence session was reported by Hansard.

The Deputy Chairperson thanked the witnesses and they left the meeting at 3.39pm.

7.      SR 2025/61 — The Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025

The Committee considered SR 2025/61 — the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025, which will extend the provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 that allow courts and statutory tribunals to receive evidence wholly or in part through the use of audio or video links until 24 September 2025.

The Committee noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules had not yet reported on the Rule.

Agreed:   The Committee for Justice considered SR 2025/61 — the Coronavirus Act 2020 (Extension of Provisions Relating to Live Links for Courts and Tribunals) (Northern Ireland) 2025 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report, recommended that it be approved by the Assembly.

The Deputy Chairperson advised Members that the plenary debate on the Statutory Rule has been provisionally scheduled for 6 May 2025.

8.      Amendments to Legal Aid Remuneration — Department of Justice written paper

The Committee noted a paper from the Department of Justice advising that it was unable to provide an update on the Enabling Access to Justice programme, including the response to the consultation on the proposed uplift in fees for civil, family and criminal legal services, as it had received late informal representations from the Criminal Bar Association which needed to be considered. The Department advised that a further briefing will be provided on this issue in due course.

The Committee noted that the Bar of Northern Ireland is scheduled to provide oral evidence on the Enabling Access to Justice programme on 1 May 2025. 

9.      Court Fees — Proposed Consultation — Department of Justice written paper

The Committee considered a written paper from the Department of Justice regarding a 12-week public consultation that the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service plans to launch in spring 2025 on changes to court fees for 2026 to 2029.

The Deputy Chairperson advised Members that a number of impact assessments will be conducted as part of the consultation.

Agreed: To note the paper and to consider further when the results of the consultation are available.

10.   Correspondence

• A request from the Committee for The Executive Office for Committees to ascertain whether their Department has a role in delivering the Ending Violence against Women and Girls Strategy; how much funding was bid for and/or earmarked; and for details of activities undertaken.  

Agreed:To ask the Department of Justice to provide the requested information.

• Correspondence from the Committee for Finance containing a copy of the results of a survey by Retail NI — ‘A Call for Action: A Five Point Plan to Tackle the Cost of Doing Business Crisis’.

Agreed: To ask the Department of Justice for its view on the recommendation made by Retail NI regarding matters for inclusion in the forthcoming Sentencing Bill.

• A number of items of correspondence from an individual on issues relating to the PSNI, the Police Ombudsman, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and others, and a draft response to the individual.

The Deputy Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee previously responded to the individual advising that it has a strategic, policy and legislative role in relation to justice matters and does not get involved in individual complaints, but that a sizeable number of emails has been received since that response was issued.

Agreed:To issue the draft response to the individual.

The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:

• A response from the Department of Justice regarding child contact centres.

• A response from the Department of Justice regarding details of projects delayed due to an ongoing legal challenge.

• An update from the Department of Justice regarding the implementation of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024.

• Northern Ireland Audit Office report ‘PSNI Fleet Management’.

11.   Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered a request from the Department of Justice to reschedule an oral evidence session on the Report on Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021, which will include an update against the Domestic and Sexual Abuse strategy and the Committee’s post-legislative scrutiny work.

Agreed: To reschedule the oral evidence session for the end of May 2025.

The Committee considered an updated Committee forward work programme.

Agreed: To proceed with the sessions in the updated forward work programme, subject to the changes as agreed at today’s meeting.

The Deputy Chairperson reminded Members that an informal lunch with the Lady Chief Justice is scheduled for 29 April 2025 in the Private Dining Room and that, as agreed at last week’s meeting, a short informal meeting will take place that morning in advance of the informal lunch. The Deputy Chairperson advised Members that they should let the Committee team know of any matters, in addition to those circulated, that they want to discuss with the Lady Chief Justice.

Agreed:  To provide the Lady Chief Justice’s office with the list of matters that Committee Members may wish to explore with her, in advance of the informal lunch. 

12.   Chairperson’s Business

There was no Chairperson’s business.

13.   Any Other Business

There was no other business.

14.   Date, Time and Place of the next meeting

Members were advised that next meeting will take place on Thursday 1 May at 2.00pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The Meeting was adjourned at 3.50pm.

Joanne Bunting MLA

Chairperson, Committee for Justice