A paper examined women prisoners' post-custody resettlement experience in Northern Ireland, to consider the correlation between gender-responsive measures and the increasing criminalization and imprisonment of severely disadvantaged and marginalized women.
Source: Jacqueline Kerr, The (Re)Settlement of Women Prisoners in Northern Ireland: From rhetoric to reality, Working Paper 8/2014, Howard League for Penal Reform
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Aug
An article highlighted the utility of a more detailed analysis of crime statistics in providing information on the patterns of crime against children, based on Northern Ireland data. It said that violent crime differentially affected older children, and detection rates varied depending on case characteristics. It called for crime-recording practice to make child victims of crime more visible, and to facilitate assessment of the effectiveness of existing initiatives and policy developments.
Source: Lisa Bunting, 'Invisible victims: recorded crime and children in the UK', Child Abuse Review, Volume 23 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jun
The Northern Ireland Executive published the Legal Aid and Coroners' Courts Bill. The Bill was designed to make arrangements to dissolve the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission and transfer its functions and staff to the Department of Justice. It would also set in statute a number of safeguards to protect the independence of the individual decisions on the grant of civil legal aid, and would make the Lord Chief Justice the President of the coroners' courts.
Source: Legal Aid and Coroners' Courts Bill, Northern Ireland Executive, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Bill paper
Date: 2014-Apr
An inspectorate report in Northern Ireland said that progress had been made to reform forensic services since the previous inspection, but that many aspects still required improvement. The report identified problems that had inhibited the work, some of which were not wholly within the gift of the service to resolve. The report made recommendations.
Source: Forensic Science Northern Ireland, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland
Links: Report | CJINI press release
Date: 2014-Feb
The Northern Ireland Executive began consultation on their proposed strategy to enhance services, protection and support for victims and witnesses of domestic and sexual violence and abuse, and to improve responses against perpetrators. The strategy contained five key strands: collaborative working; prevention and early intervention; delivering change; support for those affected; and protection and justice. The consultation would close on 11 April 2014.
Source: Stopping Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse in Northern Ireland 2013-2020, Northern Ireland Executive
Links: Consultation document | Associated documents | NIE press release
Date: 2014-Jan