Long publishes delivery plan for justice reform
Date published:
Justice Minister Naomi Long has published a programme to improve how access to justice is delivered.
The Enabling Access Programme Delivery Plan will be subject to consultation for eight weeks starting today.
The Minister said: “The Enabling Access to Justice Reform Programme is an ambitious one which aims to reshape how justice is delivered for the future to ensure a fairer, more proportionate, more responsive system that puts the citizen at its core.
“How justice is delivered has far reaching consequences. It helps to ensure public safety and protection for our most vulnerable. It helps us defend our rights, secure opportunities and access services.
“It helps us ensure our wellbeing and to protect our families. So how justice is delivered can have a significant impact on our lives and society and the cost of public services in the long-term.
“The Reform Programme aims to recalibrate the system to ensure delivery models can provide the best possible outcomes, supporting efficient resolution of disputes and reduce acrimony and stress.
“It is also important to harness the advantages of technology, to ensure a holistic tailored approach to need and ensure the continued availability of expert advice and representation, particularly the most vulnerable.
“In addition, with resources under increasing pressure, the Programme also aims to ensure delivery models make the best possible use of resources and are cost effective and transparent.”
The consultation published today seeks views on the sequencing of the Reform Programme.
Each set of proposals within the plan will also be subject to detailed consultation.
The consultation is available on the Citizenspace platform on NIdirect website and will be open until 27 March 2025 and everyone is being encouraged to have their say.
Notes to editors:
- The written Ministerial statement on the Enabling Access to Justice Programme is available at the publication section of this website.
- The Reform Programme aims to enhance access to justice through a number of workstreams - improving access to justice; ensuring appropriate quality services; ensuring value; managing public funds; and oversight and assurance. Priorities have been informed by previous reviews and existing data; learning from other jurisdictions and detailed stakeholder engagement including a call for evidence on the Foundational Review of Civil Legal Aid; the Fundamental Review of Criminal Legal Aid; priority setting exercise for civil legal aid for victims of domestic abuse jointly commissioned by the Department and the Commissioner designate for Victims of Crime.
- The plan is expected to evolve as work progresses and additional evidence emerges but initial steps include –
- increasing eligibility for legal aid;
- introduction of additional options for financing litigation to enhance access to justice and sustainability;
- procedural and associated fee changes to aid better outcomes and reducing costs;
- enhancing front line service holistic tailored support;
- trialling alternative dispute resolution models;
- increasing fees for publicly funded work in criminal and civil and family cases to ensure fair remuneration and the continued availability of high-quality advice and representation;
- a root and branch review of fee structure for public legal services to ensure the system is efficient and cost-effective;
- a review of the scope and merits of publicly funded litigation to ensure resources are directed to areas of greatest need and those who can afford to contribute to legal costs do so;
- bringing all publicly funded legal services within the purview of the Departmental Accounting Officer in the interests of transparency and accountability;
- exploring whether regulation and redress mechanisms for publicly funded legal services can be enhanced to increase confidence for users and in value for money;
- developing principles for representation in publicly funded cases to ensure equality before the law and allow costs management;
- developing of a Strategy for Access to Justice to aid decisions on resourcing and enable the effectiveness of services to be effectively assessed.
- The consultation on the Delivery Plan is to ensure those issues are being examined in the most effective way. A consultation on the first action under the Plan, proposals to increase fees for publicly funded legal work is available on Citizen Space is being issued in tandem with this consultation in the interests of delivering a better system for citizens as soon as possible.
- Media enquiries should be directed to Press Office via Email
- The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
Follow us on Twitter/X