FOI 48-25: Information regarding information held by RaISe concerning the Gillen Review of Civil Justice
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
18 August 2025
Our ref: FoI 48-25
Freedom of Information Act 2000
I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 22 July 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked for:
“Disclosure of the following information held, or potentially held, by the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service [RaISe]:
1. Any research briefings, legal analyses, or internal memoranda produced or held by RaISe since 2016 concerning:
- the Gillen Review of Civil Justice; and
- access to justice for litigants in person (whether disabled or non-disabled) in Northern Ireland.
2. Any Northern Ireland Assembly debates, committee minutes, or MLA submissions since 2016 that reference procedural disadvantage, access barriers, or the treatment of litigants in person (whether disabled or non-disabled), in the context of civil or tribunal proceedings.
3. Any RaISe-produced papers, briefing notes, or equality and human rights analyses concerning:
- civil justice reform in Northern Ireland; and
- compliance with statutory obligations under:
- Order 1 Rule 1A(2)(a) of the Rules of the Court of Judicature (Northern Ireland) 1980 (statutory duty to ensure equal footing);
- Schedule 1, Part 1, Rule 2(2)(a) of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (equivalent duty in industrial tribunal proceedings);
- Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (statutory duty to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between those with disabilities and those without); and
- Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to a fair trial, including the principle of equality of arms)”
Our response
Under Section 21 of the FOIA, the Assembly Commission does not have to provide to applicants information which is reasonably accessible by other means.
Question 1
RaISe publishes a range of publications and materials which may be relevant to your request which are available via the RaISe section of the Assembly Commission website. This page includes a searchable database to assist in locating relevant documents, publications and deposited papers.
RaISe also contribute to the Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (KESS). This and other additional resources are available via the Assembly Commission website. View a relevant seminar from May 2018 on the KESS website.
Question 2
The Official Report of debates, committee evidence and committee minutes, and submissions are published on the Assembly Commission website.
Question 3
In order to provide with advice and assistance, the following links have been signposted as likely to contain information relevant to your request.
Section 75
NIAR-432-2010 'The Section 75 Statutory Duty: changes to Equality Commission guidance' Oct 2010
NIAR-44-2021 'Updated Statistics on Section 75 Categories for Education Service' Feb 2021
NIAR-125-2024 'Comparative study of equality legislation in the United Kingdom and Ireland' Aug 2024
Civil Justice Reform
NIAR-050-2011 'Access to Justice: Scope of Civil Legal Aid' Sept 2011
NIAR-026-2013 'Civil Legal Aid' April 2013
NIAR-050-2011 'Access to Justice-Alternative Dispute Resolution Sept 2011
Article 6 ECHR
NIAR-657-2011 'Justice Related Issues in a UK Bill of Rights' Oct 2011
NIAR-598-2011 'UK Bill of Rights Consultation' Sept 2011
Further Information
You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.
Yours sincerely
INFORMATION STANDARDS
