Ford Marks 1,000 Days Since Justice Devolution

David ford has been marking 1,000 days since the devolution of justice in Northern Ireland by setting out his successes and challenges over the period.

The Justice Minister was speaking in Belfast to an invited audience of Department of Justice stakeholders and partner organisations.

He said: "My vision on day one was to reshape the justice system to build a safer Northern Ireland, with lower levels of crime, safer shared communities and justice for all. To date, we have shown that we can deliver on that ambitious agenda of improvement and reform.

"Devolving justice can lead to improved accountability, provide local solutions for local problems, help to normalise society and create a shared future.

Minister Ford spoke of his ability to develop policy according to the revelation of new facts, citing the future of Magilligan Prison or the additions made to the Justice Act.

"Evidence shows that short prison sentences are less effective than non-custodial alternatives and I will continue to make the case for them," he continued.

"Much good work has been done to reduce the number of children and young people who end up in the justice system and to fill the gap in our understanding of their legal needs I will be commissioning a comprehensive study."

Looking to the challenges ahead, Minister Ford said: "There is a responsibility on all of us in government to achieve more for our community, and we can do this through working better across departmental boundaries. It’s about sharing our learning and expertise, about making decisions which draw on the skills and expertise of all our departments and agencies.

"Another challenge is the security situation. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the police for the commitment they are showing in dealing with the threat of terrorism, while continuing to provide a vital community policing service.

"The justice system seems to be the only area of government acting in relation to the past, whether through the work of the Historical Enquiries team, the Police Ombudsman or legacy inquests. We need to face up to this issue and this requires everyone, including all of our political parties and the two governments, to take on their responsibilities."

(IT)