28/11/2002

Court Service opens information centre

The criminal justice agency's first-ever Northern Ireland Court Service Information Centre has been officially opened today.

The information centre, which is located in Bedford Street, Belfast, is the first for a criminal justice agency in Northern Ireland and will provide a central information point for the public.

A wide range of information on the courts and how they operate is available at the centre, together with free access to the Northern Ireland Court Service website.

The information centre will also support the court service’s communication strategy which aims to give a heightened profile to the Court Service’s programme of Outreach activities. The move will particularly impact upon the service's outreach programme to schools and communities throughout Northern Ireland.

The opening is in response to the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Review, which was published in March 2000, and which placed responsibility on criminal justice agencies to become more transparent and accountable.

Speaking at the official opening, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department, Rosie Winterton MP, said: “This is an exciting time for the Court Service as it increasingly becomes a more outward-facing organisation with a higher public profile."

(MB)

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