New Independent Monitoring Board members appointed

Peter May, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Justice, has announced the appointment of 13 new Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) members.

They are:

• Aubrey Domer
• Bernard McCullagh
• Catherine Jaffa
• Claire Aiken
• Jill Markham
• John Watson
• Karen Crawford
• Martin Dummigan
• Michael O’Hara
• Robert McAdam
• Sarah Lawrence
• Thomas Logue
• Wesley Mitchell

The new members, all volunteers, have been appointed following an open competition and took up office on 1 April 2019.

Mr May also announced the reappointment of 16 serving members for a further term.

He continued: “I welcome the appointment of the new Independent Monitoring Board members. As volunteers they undertake a worthwhile but challenging role in the three prisons in Northern Ireland.

“I also welcome back those members who are being reappointed for a further term and thank them for their continued support and commitment to the role. 

“I would like to record my sincere thanks to those members who are standing down, having completed their term of office.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The IMB is an independent statutory body whose role is to monitor the treatment of prisoners and the conditions of their imprisonment in Northern Ireland’s prisons. The statutory role of the IMB is set out in full in Part 16 of the Prison and Young Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland) 1995.

2. There are three Boards, one for each of the prison establishments in Northern Ireland: Hydebank Wood; Maghaberry; and Magilligan.

3. IMB Members are volunteers and do not receive remuneration for time spent on IMB business. Reasonable travel and subsistence is payable at Northern Ireland Civil Service rates.

4. Members are appointed for one term from 1 April 2019 until 31 March 2022.

5. The appointments were made on merit and, to ensure that the process is transparent and in line with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments in Northern Ireland, the appointment process followed the principles and practices contained in the Commissioner’s code.

6. The Department has also reappointed 16 current members for a further term from 1 April 2019.  The reappointed members are:

• Ann Adams
• Anne Rowe
• Christopher Ralph
• Clive Smyth
• Deena Haydon
• Diane Mackey
• Harry Montgomery
• Hazel Patton
• Ian Hackney
• John Denvir
• Lynn Nevin
• Margaret McCrory
• Mary McMahon
• Patsy McGonagle
• Tanya Quinn
• Yvonne Adair

7. All media enquiries should be directed to the Department of Justice Press Office 028 9052 6444. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

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