Committee for Justice

Minutes of Proceedings - Thursday 4 June 2026

Room 30, Parliament Buildings, Belfast

 

Present:

Paul Frew MLA (Chairperson)

Emma Sheerin MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Connie Egan MLA

Ciara Ferguson MLA

Aoife Finnegan MLA

Brian Kingston MLA

Patsy McGlone MLA

 

Present by Video or Teleconference:

Doug Beattie MLA

 

Apologies:

Maurice Bradley MLA

 

In Attendance:

Kathy O’Hanlon (Assembly Clerk)

Thomas McKillop (Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Gareth Black (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Paula Morrow (Clerical Supervisor)

Aaron Pakenham (Clerical Officer)

 

The meeting commenced at 2.01pm in closed session with the Deputy Chairperson in the Chair.

 

Agreed: That the meeting begin in closed session to receive a briefing from the Examiner of Statutory Rules on the Delegated Powers in the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill.

 

1. Apologies

As above.

 

2. Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill – Delegated Powers – Examiner of Statutory Rules oral briefing

Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules, attended the meetingto provide a briefing on her report on the Delegated Powers in the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill.

Patsy McGlone joined the meeting at 2.03pm.

Aoife Finnegan joined the meeting at 2.12pm.

The Chairperson joined the meeting and took the Chair at 2.15pm.

The meeting was suspended at 2.15pm.

The meeting resumed in public session at 2.21pm with the following Members present:

Paul Frew, Chairperson

Emma Sheerin, Deputy Chairperson

Doug Beattie

Connie Egan

Ciara Ferguson

Aoife Finnegan

Brian Kingston

Pasty McGlone

 

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

 

3. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 28 May 2026.

 

4. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising

 

5. Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill – Written papers

The Committee noted several further responses from individuals and stakeholders to the Call for Evidence on the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill.

The Chairperson advised that the Committee team will prepare an update to assist Members in determining what other oral evidence sessions, beyond those already scheduled, they may wish to hear to assist the Committee’s scrutiny of the Bill.

Agreed: That the informal meeting to be facilitated by the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime on the Sentencing Bill be scheduled immediately before a Committee meeting in September 2026.

 

6. Justice Bill – Written Papers

6.1 – Legal Services – Convention Rights Memorandum: Amendments

The Committee noted a Human Rights Memorandum prepared by the Legal Services Office on the planned Ministerial amendments to the Justice Bill.

6.2 - Ar Son Na nDaoine – Request for Consideration of Grace’s Law-Style Scrambler Protections in NI

The Committee considered correspondence from Ar Son Na nDaoine expressing concerns about the growing number of scrambler-related incidents involving children and young people in their area.

Agreed: To clarify the names of those corresponding with the Committee and, once this is clarified, to forward the correspondence to the Committee for Health and the Committee for Infrastructure for information.

Agreed: To request information from the Department on any policy work they are conducting, or intend to conduct, on the misuse of scramblers and e-scooters in public places.

Agreed: To seek the views of the Northern Ireland Policing Board on the adequacy and effectiveness of current legislation governing the misuse of scramblers and e‑scooters in public spaces, and whether additional legislative measures may be required.

 

7. SL1 The Justice (2011 Act) (Amendment of Schedule 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 – Update to football bodies, championships and leagues

The Committee considered a proposal from the Department of Justice to make a Statutory Rule under powers conferred by section 35(4) of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. The rule will amend Schedule 3 to the 2011 Act to update references to football bodies, championships and leagues in relation to regulated matches for the purposes of Part 4 of that Act.

The Rule is subject to the negative resolution procedure.

The Committee also considered correspondence received from an individual which raised several questions in relation to the SL1.

Agreed: To forward the correspondence to the Department of Justice to request a response to the concerns raised, noting that the Department may have to liaise with the Department for Communities, given its policy responsibility for these matters;

Agreed: To request clarification of whether further Statutory Rules will be required every time the name of a league included in the proposed legislation changes; if certain leagues not listed in the legislation are excluded from the good behaviour rules; and whether prosecutions in relation to offences which took place in leagues in England, Scotland and Wales, will be conducted in Northern Ireland, or people can be banned from attending those leagues due to behaviour in Northern Ireland.

 

8. SL1 The Justice (2011 Act) (Amendment of Schedule 4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 – Expansion of Out of Court Disposals

The Committee considered a paper from the Department of Justice advising of its intention to make a Statutory Rule under powers conferred by The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. The rule seeks to allow the Police Service of Northern Ireland to issue Penalty Notices under Part 6, Chapter 1 of Schedule 4 for a broader range of offences.

Brian Kingston stated that the Democratic Unionist Party welcomes the Justice Minister’s decision to not include the offence of assault on a police officer in the final proposed list of offences included in the expansion of Out of Court Disposals.

Agreed: To issue a call for views on the proposed Statutory Rule using the standard survey; to publish the SL1 and the draft Statutory Rule on the Committee’s website; and to consider the proposed Statutory Rule at the meeting on 25 June 2026.           

Agreed: To seek the views of the Department and the PSNI on what the impact for the scheme may be of not including the offence of assault on a police officer in the final list of offences in the expansion of Out of Court Disposals.

 

9. Armed Forces Bill – Legislative Consent Memorandum - Department of Justice written paper

The Committee considered an update on the Minister of Justice’s intention to lay a Legislative Consent Memorandum in respect of measures in the Armed Forces Bill. The measures which require consent relate to the protection from domestic abuse and stalking, and Service restraining orders.

Agreed: To forward the update to the PSNI to request any comments they may have on the proposals.

Agreed: To ask the Department to clarify why the Justice Minister is not seeking consent to extend the provisions of Clause 2 of the Bill, which requires certain authorities to have due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant, to Northern Ireland.

 

10. Police Officer Misconduct and Vetting Procedures – Department of Justice written paper

The Committee noted a paper from the Department of Justice providing an update and responses to questions that the Committee had requested on progress to introduce legislative amendments in relation to the police officer misconduct and vetting procedures.

Agreed: To take oral evidence from the Department of Justice on Police Officer Misconduct and Vetting Procedures when the outcome of the consultations are available.

 

11. Correspondence

The Committee considered the following items of correspondence:

  • A response from the Department of Justice to questions forwarded by the Committee on behalf of an individual regarding Injury on Duty awards.

Agreed:  To forward the Department’s response to the individual for information.

  • Further correspondence from the individual raising additional areas of concern and asking the Committee to seek responses from the Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Policing Board to a number of questions.

Agreed: That Committee staff evaluate previous correspondence to determine what may already have been answered, before the Committee agrees to forward any additional questions.

  • Responses from the Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Policing Board to clarification and questions raised another individual in relation to Injury on Duty awards that the Committee had forwarded to these bodies for response.

Agreed: To forward both responses to the individual for information.

  • Copy of a response from an individual to the Minister of Justice regarding the Joint Guidance for Medical Practitioners on Injury on Duty Awards; and separate correspondence from the individual to the Committee raising questions in relation to an ongoing review of the Joint Guidance, which the individual has requested the Committee seek clarification on.

Agreed: That Committee staff evaluate previous correspondence to determine what may already have been answered, before the Committee agrees to forward any additional questions.

  • Correspondence from the same individual raising a number of questions regarding the Committee’s scrutiny of SR 2024/147 The Police Service of Northern Ireland and Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve (Injury Benefit) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2024, and the Joint Medical Guidance referenced within those Regulations.

Agreed: That the Committee team will prepare a response for the Committee to consider.

  • Correspondence from Carla Lockhart MP regarding questions of oversight, accountability and the structures surrounding emergency search and rescue arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: To request an update from the Department of Justice on the progress and timeframes for completion of the review of the Northern Ireland Search and Rescue (NISAR) Framework and the Internal Audit of NISAR.

Agreed: To respond to Carla Lockhart MP to request that the Committee is advised when a meeting with the Department/Minister of Justice has been scheduled, and advise that any Committee Member may attend the meeting if they wish to do so.

  • Correspondence from an individual submitting a proposal for the authorised installation of visual warning systems (blue lights) on off-duty PSNI vehicles.

Agreed: To signpost the individual to the Northern Ireland Policing Board as the appropriate body to consider their proposal.

  • Correspondence from an individual raising concerns regarding the recognition and response to post-separation economic abuse in Northern Ireland, particularly where financial arrangements and housing security become mechanisms through which harm continues after a relationship has ended.

Agreed: To forward the correspondence to the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime to ask what consideration will be given to these matters by the cross-departmental task and finish group established by her office.

  • An urgent Written Ministerial Statement by the Minister of Justice issued on 3 June 2026 regarding the outcome of the accelerated review of Criminal Legal Aid.

Agreed: To request clarification of the next steps to implement the changes outlined in the Statement, including timelines, and whether the Minister is confident that this will lead to the end of the Criminal Bar Association’s ongoing withdrawal of services.  

The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:

  • Department of Justice – An overview of Westminster Courts and Tribunals Bill provisions that extend to NI, for which the Department advised legislative consent will not be required.
  • Committee for Communities – Consideration of Retention and Disposal Schedules by Committees.
  • Committee for Finance – National Population Projections published by NISRA.
  • Committee for Finance - 2025-26 Public Expenditure Outturn and Forecast Outturn – April Position.
  • Lady Chief Justice – Response regarding Guidance for the Judiciary - Family Proceedings: Domestic Abuse.
  • Lady Chief Justice - Copy correspondence issued to the Minister of Justice regarding a vacancy on the Court of Appeal.
  • An individual - Copy of a response to the Department of Justice consultation on the Draft Section 75 Equality Action Plan 2025-2030 and Draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030.
  • Investment Strategy NI - Investing Activity Report for Department of Justice – May 2026

 

12. Forward Work Programme

12.1 Committee’s Draft Forward Work Programme

The Committee noted the latest draft of the Committee’s forward work programme.

 

13. Chairperson’s Business

The Committee noted that the Chairperson has received an invitation from the Lady Chief Justice’s Office to attend events to mark the Opening of the Legal Year on Monday 7 September 2026.

Agreed: That the Committee was content for the Chairperson to attend the event.

 

14. Any Other Business

There was no other business.

 

15. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting

Members were advised that the next meeting will take place on Thursday 11 June at 2.00pm in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3.04pm.

 

Paul Frew MLA

Chairperson, Committee for Justice

11 June 2026