Politics: Justice Minister’s sunset clause
Monday, October 10th, 2011The Assembly must decide whether to keep or change the system for justice devolution by next May. Peter Cheney considers the options. Northern Ireland’s troubled history made the appointment of the Executive’s first Justice Minister a contentious choice. The deal which made justice devolution possible lasts until 1 May 2012 so the Assembly must make a decision in this term about the way ahead. In November 2008, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness agreed that a Justice Minister should be appointed by a cross- community vote, which effectively opened the door for Alliance. Any successful...[full story]
Infrastructure: Priorities for 2011-2015
Monday, October 10th, 2011Three years after ISNI2 was published, agendaNi examines the key infrastructure projects likely to be taken forward by the current Executive. An updated Infrastructure Strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI3) has been drafted and approved by ministerial special advisers. However, until the Programme for Government is released it is unclear which infrastructure projects will get the green light. ISNI2 was released in 2008 and outlined infrastructure spending from 2008 to 2018. ISNI3 is required because of the economic downturn and budget cuts and will cover infrastructure spending over the...[full story]
Environment: Tackling wildlife crime
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011agendaNi examines the tough legislation passed by the Assembly which aims to tackle wildlife crime and protect the region’s biodiversity. People carrying out wildlife crimes such as illegally collecting the eggs of rare birds, poisoning birds of prey and badger baiting could face a prison sentence of up to six months, following the implementation of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act 2011 on 18 August. The organisation of, participation in or attendance at hare coursing and the transportation or possession of hares for that purpose are now banned, and carries a maximum fine of...[full story]
Meet the media: Gail McGreevy
Friday, September 2nd, 2011This month, agendaNi asks a press officer about their work and interests. Gail McGreevy is Head of Communications for the Probation Board and previously worked for the PSNI, SDLP and Fianna Fáil. Outline your career path to date. I always had an interest in journalism and politics but thought lawyers made the big bucks. So I graduated with a law and politics degree from Queen’s University, hoping to ‘keep my options open’. After graduating, I went to Dublin and worked for the Insurance Ombudsman of Ireland which was a terrific first job to land as a graduate. The Ombudsman was...[full story]
Westminister: Coalition: one year on
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011agendaNi reviews the Coalition Government’s first year in power and its impact on Northern Ireland. Westminster’s decisions on finance, security and the constitution have important local consequences. “We’re all in this together,” David Cameron affirmed as he visited Stormont last May. Yet one year on, as austerity starts to bite and the devolved nations dissent, Northern Ireland and Westminster seem further apart now than before the general election. This is partly because 2010-2011 has also been the first year of ‘full devolution’ in almost 40 years so Westminster’s...[full story]
Justice: Safety without walls
Friday, March 11th, 2011Peter Cheney reviews the Justice Minister’s plans for community safety, including fewer walls on the interfaces. Interface communities who want to remove barriers will get help from government, under the Department of Justice’s draft community safety strategy. Forty-seven barriers were ‘inherited’ from the NIO and the term peace walls “appears increasingly outdated”. The emphasis on sharing is the most innovative part of the document. All public services also have a responsibility to provide “shared spaces” where people can congregate without the threat of aggressive...[full story]
Justice: Policy summary
Friday, January 28th, 2011Ten months after most justice and policing powers were devolved to the Assembly, agendaNi considers the main parties’ commitments from their manifestos. Policy on national security, illicit drugs and counter-terrorism is controlled by Westminster. Alliance Justice Minister: David Ford MLA Justice and Human Rights Spokesman: Stephen Farry MLA When Alliance took on the portfolio on devolution in April 2010, David Ford argued that a shake-up of the system was needed to ensure “fair justice for all”. In 2007, Alliance described a fundamental relationship between democracy,...[full story]
Justice: Attorney-General – a case for reform?
Friday, January 28th, 2011Peter Cheney reviews the Attorney-General’s work to date and considers the potential for more powers. While John Larkin has kept a low public profile since his appointment as Attorney- General, on 25 May last year, his role is a significant addition to the devolved system of government. A local individual is now the Executive’s chief legal advisor and guarding the public interest for the first time in nearly 40 years. Northern Ireland had 11 Attorneys-General between 1921 and 1972, starting with Richard Best and ending with Basil Kelly. Upon direct rule, the post passed to the Attorney-General...[full story]
Justice: Measuring devolution
Friday, January 28th, 2011Almost one year on from the devolution of policing and justice, agendaNi looks at its progress to date. The devolution of policing and justice brought responsibility for most aspects of law and order to the new Department for Justice. In the nine months since devolution in April 2010 David Ford has introduced his first Justice Bill and presided over 10 consultations. The Justice Bill passed its second reading in the Assembly on 2 November 2010 and proposes an offender levy to finance a victims’ fund, the integration of community safety and district policing partnerships, and means...[full story]
Justice: Policing and rights
Friday, January 28th, 2011Basil McCrea updates agendaNi on the Policing Board’s work on human rights and professional standards. Far from being an abstract idea, human rights can be practically applied in policing on the ground. Human rights is not a foreign or ultra- liberal concept, according to Basil McCrea. The UUP MLA, who chairs the Policing Board’s Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee, points out that British parliamentarians helped to draw up the European Convention on Human Rights after World War Two. Winston Churchill was among its early supporters. McCrea states that human rights is...[full story]
