Judiciary Reform – 2001

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The government was slow to respond to the review group’s report. Therefore, the nationalists and the republicans called for an immediate implementation of the report. This created pressure and on 12 November 2001, the government published its implementation plan for the criminal justice review and a draft justice bill. The proposed justice draft bill, however, did not materialize between 2001 and 2008.

Judiciary Reform – 2000

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The review group published a report on 30 March 2000. In its 447-page review of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, the group made 294 recommendations on issues related to human rights, prosecution, courts, the judiciary, victims and wetness, and law reform, among others. These recommendations were also related to the establishment of an independent commission to oversee the appointment of judges, the integration of restorative justice into the judicial system, and the devolution of the criminal justice system to the Northern Ireland Assembly.1

Judiciary Reform – 1999

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The review group published a progress report in April 1999. After the progress report, the group held a series of nine seminars across Northern Ireland between May and June 1999 in which more than 3,000 individuals, groups, and organizations were invited for their feedback.

Judiciary Reform – 1998

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As provided for in the Good Friday Agreement and the Terms of Reference in Annex B, the review group, comprised of four civil servants representing the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General, and five independent assessors, was formed. The review group had its first meeting on 1 July 1998 and published a consultation paper on 27 August 1998, distributing copies of this paper to political parties, individual politicians, churches, the judiciary, and a range of voluntary and community organizations with an interest in this issue. The group reviewed the criminal justice system over the past 30 years in Northern Ireland, reviewed recent changes in the legislations, and visited the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, New Zealand, and the US to examine how other jurisdictions deliver criminal justice.2