News, analysis, and updates on legal reforms, law enforcement, judicial processes, and public safety measures upholding justice in Northern Ireland.
Justice Minister Naomi Long has opened Prisons Week 2025 (12–18 October) by urging Northern Ireland to “keep people who are out of sight and often out of mind” at the centre of rehabilitation efforts. Visiting Maghaberry Prison alongside Prison Service Director General Beverley Wall, the Minister watched a play about […]
Justice Minister Naomi Long has pledged fresh action to tackle the chronic delays clogging Northern Ireland’s courts. Speaking on 6 October 2025, the Minister described lengthy case processing times as “one of the biggest challenges facing the justice system” and outlined the next steps in her department’s Speeding Up Justice
Young people in Northern Ireland who find themselves before a youth court now have access to a new suite of digital tools designed to demystify the process. Justice Minister Naomi Long has unveiled a short explainer video and a set of “virtual courtroom tours” that walk children and their families
Justice Minister Naomi Long is urging the public to have their say on new laws that would make it a criminal offence to create, share or threaten to share sexually explicit “deepfake” images of adults. The consultation, which closes on 6 October, is being run by the Department of Justice
Legal aid statistics for Northern Ireland for the year to March 2025 are out, showing a paradox of fewer approved cases but record-high spending. The figures, published today by the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland (LSANI) in its Official Statistics bulletin ‘Legal Aid in Northern Ireland: Annual Statistics to March
Justice Minister Naomi Long has unveiled a broad package of new laws and victim-support measures aimed at reducing domestic abuse and gender-based violence across Northern Ireland. Marking three years since the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) launched its action plan on violence against women and girls, the Minister highlighted
Justice Minister Naomi Long and RUC George Cross Foundation Chairman Stephen White have paid tribute to fallen and serving police officers ahead of this year’s National Police Memorial Day. Meeting volunteers and former officers in the Memorial Garden at Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) headquarters, the Minister acknowledged the
The Department of Justice has scrapped the controversial practice of deducting “saved living expenses” from compensation awards for people who were wrongfully convicted. Justice Minister Naomi Long announced that the revised guidance comes into force immediately and aligns Northern Ireland with the rest of the UK. The change is significant
The Department of Justice has released its annual statistical bulletin on the operation of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 during the 2024–25 financial year. The report tracks how many domestic-abuse-related cases reached the courts, how they were disposed of and how long they took to
The Department of Justice has confirmed eight new appointments to the independent Civil Legal Services Appeal Panels, the bodies that rule on challenges to decisions on civil legal aid in Northern Ireland. Justice Minister Naomi Long has named solicitor Sarah Havlin as Presiding Member, alongside seven legal professionals who will
