Justice Bill - Committee Stage - Written Submissions
The Justice Bill was formally introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 16 June 2014 and passed its Second Stage on 24 June 2014. The Bill has now been referred to the Committee for Justice which has responsibility for the Committee Stage of the Bill.
During the Committee Stage the Committee will be scrutinising the clauses and schedules of the Bill.
The Committee has also agreed to seek views on proposed amendments to the Bill from the Department of Justice, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland and Mr Jim Wells MLA.
The Committee issued a written call for evidence in order to assist it with the scrutiny of the Bill and the proposed amendments to the Bill. The deadline for submissions passed on 12 September 2014. Below you will find a list of the submissions that the Committee received:
- Alliance for Choice
- Amnesty
- Attorney General for Northern Ireland
- Banbridge District Council
- Bangor Free Presbyterian Church
- Belfast Feminist Network
- CARE NI
- Catholic Bishops of Ireland
- Christian Medical Fellowship
- Commissioner for Older People
- Department of Education
- Department of Employment and Learning
- Disability Action
- Elim Pentecostal Church
- Evangelical Alliance
- Family Education Trust
- Free Presbyterian Government and Morals Committee
- Health and Social Care Board
- Housing Executive
- Include Youth
- Information Commissioner's Office
- Knock Presbyterian Church
- Law Society
- Life Northern Ireland
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
- National Union of Students - Union of Students Ireland
- Newbridge Church
- Newtownards Reformed Presbyterian Church
- NIACRO
- Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People
- Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
- Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission
- Northern Ireland Policing Board
- Office of the Lord Chief Justice
- Police Federation for Northern Ireland
- Police Service of Northern Ireland
- Precious Life
- Presbyterian Church in Ireland
- Public Morals Committee of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland
- Public Prosecution Service
- Regulation and Quality improvement Authority
- Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
- South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
- Stanton Clinic
- St Patrick's Church, Belfast
- The Children's Law Centre
- Victim Support NI
- Women's Aid
- Women's Network
- Youth4Life
Additional information regarding submissions and feedback
Jim Wells Amendment
In relation to Mr Wells’ amendment a number of responses from individuals, petitions and postcards have also been received in support of the
amendment and these are detailed below:
On-line petition emails (organised by Precious Life on Citizen Go) – as of Wednesday 26 November a total of 6384 emails have
been received.
The Committee also received 5 petitions in support of Mr Wells’ amendment with a total of 171 signatures
o Ballynahinch Free Presbyterian Church (31 signatures)
o Crossgar Free Presbyterian Church (26 signatures)
o Kilskeery free Presbyterian Church (39 signatures)
o Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church (34 signatures)
o 6 petition from source unknown (total 176 signatures)
Postcard Campaign (organised by Precious Life) – as of Wednesday 26 November a total of 3,420 postcards have been
received. An additional approx. 22,000 postcards were delivered to the Committee on Wednesday 17 September by Precious
Life.
A petition from Precious Life was also received with 1,020 signatures.
197 responses from St Mary’s Limavady in support of the amendment.
134 letters received by post from individuals in support of the amendment.
44 emails from individuals supporting the amendment
