david ford

“nor does it sit comfortably with the transparency expectations of a modern society”

Pete Baker on June 6, 2011, 8:19 pm | Readers 126

As the BBC reports, in response to a written question from TUV leader, Jim Allister, MLA, the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford, has revealed that, in the last 4 years, there have been 4 ‘super-injunctions’ granted in Northern Ireland – that is, court orders made “prohibiting publicity on the granting of injunctive relief”. From the BBC report The North Antrim MLA said he hoped the information “may stimulate some necessary debate” on the issue. “The mystery and secrecy surrounding injunctive relief …

Legal Aid Fees Dispute: “necessary to go outside Northern Ireland to bring in other lawyers”?

Pete Baker on June 6, 2011, 3:03 pm | Readers 122

As the BBC reports, Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Alliance Party leader, David Ford, has detailed the number of cases where solictors have come “off record” to date in the dispute over legal aid fees [134 between 13 April and 27 May]. Although the Minister adds that It is not the court practice to record the reason given by a solicitor for coming off record so it is not possible to state categorically that all of these cases represent the outcome of a …

“the First Minister, deputy First Minister, Attorney General and I have therefore agreed…”

Pete Baker on June 1, 2011, 3:31 pm | Readers 32

The Northern Ireland Attorney General, John Larkin, has been complaining about his lack of powers of supervision over the Public Prosecution Service since he was appointed in May 2010. It was, he said at the time, “something that should be urgently looked at”. The NI Justice Minister, David Ford, responded on 7 June 2010 that he intended “to start discussions with the First Minister and deputy First Minister on whether the relationship the law sets down between the new Attorney General and …

Legal Aid Fees Dispute: “we cannot guarantee that they receive a fair trial”

Pete Baker on May 27, 2011, 2:03 pm | Readers 57

Over 140 defendants in criminal cases are now reported to be without legal representation in the ongoing legal aid fees dispute. From the BBC report Solicitors have refused to take on more than three quarters of criminal legal aid cases due to start in NI during the past six weeks. More than 140 defendants have been left without legal representation because of the protest over lower legal fees. “We don’t want to be on strike. We don’t want to be withdrawing …

Marion Price sentenced to permanent prison isolation – no trial or reason required

Blank on May 17, 2011, 10:15 pm | Readers 30

After being released on bail Marion Price was immediately rearrested and returned to gaol when a British Secretary of State decided to revoke her licence – this despite her having been granted the royal prerogative of mercy from her original sentence. While Marion has committed no transgression since her detention by the British Government she will now be held in permanent isolation in Magheraberry – a male only prison. A prison under the control of a Minister endorsed by SF, …

David Ford on d’Hondt: “I don’t think it’s a particularly proportional system.”

Pete Baker on May 8, 2011, 3:21 pm | Readers 111

BBC NI political editor, Mark Devenport, calculates that the Alliance Party are in prime position to pick up the tenth, and final, ministerial position to be distributed under d’Hondt. Now that “the government” have been re-elected… The NI Justice Ministry comes later – and may only be a temporary appointment. From Mark Devenport Steven Agnew’s last gasp victory for the Greens leaves Alliance on 8 seats – exactly half the Ulster Unionist total of 16. Under the D’Hondt system the UUP gets …

Criminal Justice Inspection NI to review Police Ombudsman’s independence

Pete Baker on April 25, 2011, 4:21 pm | Readers 20

The Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford, has already commissioned former civil servant Tony McCusker to examine the allegations made against Department of Justice civil servants by Sam Pollock when he resigned as Chief Executive at the NI Police Ombudsman. And, by the end of last week, the Police Ombudsman, Al Hutchison, had asked the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland to conduct a review of the operational independence of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland from the PSNI. From …

NI Justice Minister names independent reviewer

Pete Baker on April 20, 2011, 1:51 pm | Readers 30

As the BBC reports, Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Alliance Party leader David Ford, has announced that former civil servant, Tony McCusker, will conduct the independent review into allegations made against Department of Justice civil servants by Sam Pollock when he resigned as Chief Executive at the NI Police Ombudsman. Full terms of reference of review here [pdf file]. From the notes to the Minsterial statement Tony McCusker retired from the Northern Ireland Civil Service on 30 August 2005 and since then has undertaken …

“The basis of the action is that solictors will not be appearing in the Crown Court…”

Pete Baker on April 15, 2011, 3:36 pm | Readers 47

Earlier this week the BBC reported On Wednesday, defence solicitors signalled they will not be there to represent clients facing charges up to murder when they pass to the crown court. With barristers depending on these lawyers for their instructions, it means any legal representation is highly unlikely unless a solution is reached. And quoted a statement from the Bar Council In a statement, the Bar Council said: “The Bar acknowledges the well founded concerns of solicitors that these rules …

“The [Justice] department dissolves on 1 May 2012 unless…”

Pete Baker on March 29, 2011, 3:54 pm | Readers 25

As BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport reminds us, one of the oddities of our current ‘indigenous’ arrangements is that we can be fairly sure of one outcome of this election for the Alliance Party. As long as at least one member of that party is returned to the NI Assembly it’s virtually guaranteed that they – most likely David Ford – will be the next NI Justice Minister. As Mark Devenport points out. Yesterday, on Inside Politics, I presented the first …

Updated: Over £260m to be cut from policing spend over next four years – but £171m to be added

Pete Baker on December 23, 2010, 8:28 pm | Readers 194

The headline figures in the draft Northern Ireland budget re-allocation indicated only relatively small changes to the current expenditure of the NI Department of Justice up to 2014/15. Three years of consecutive cuts – £10.6million in 2011/12, £24.1million in 2012/13 and £22 .3million in 213/14 – followed by a slight increase of £9.7million in 2014/15. But, as the BBC reports, the detail published today by the NI Department of Justice reveals that the police, in particular, are expected to find significant levels of “savings” in each of the …

Truffles of power cause Ford indigestion

Turgon on December 1, 2010, 11:31 am | Readers 21

David Ford was on television last night denouncing the third mistaken prisoner release. Last month two people were released mistakenly. After the first mistaken release Ford ordered an enquiry. After the second release UUP leader Tom Elliott told Mr Ford: “Would the minister accept that in other places senior civil servants and indeed ministers have had to resign for much less?” Now there has been a third mistaken release Lord Morrow the chairman of the justice committee at Stormont has …

Justice Minister is ‘cross’ community when it comes to republican prisoners

Blank on May 20, 2010, 10:43 pm | Readers 5

A SF delegation recently visited Magheraberry to investigate complaints from Republican Prisoners which have resulted in growing protests on the streets. SF MLA Raymond McCartney reported a very positive engagement: “A range of issues were raised by the prisoners. They included complaints about a number of punitive actions such as the use of strip searching as harassment of both prisoners and their visitors and a range of other conditions-related issues that were very familiar to the former prisoners on the …