Motion

Protection of Rights and Safety in Custodial Facilities

Motion TitleProtection of Rights and Safety in Custodial Facilities

Motion TextThat this Assembly commits to providing continuous support for the LGBTQ+ and other minority communities throughout Northern Ireland, while ensuring there is no diminution of societal rights, particularly the rights of women; agrees that our justice system must ensure that those placed in custody should not feel any more vulnerable than what would be expected from having their liberty taken away; and calls on the Minister of Justice to bring forward supporting legislation to give guidance to the judiciary, Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Public Prosecution Service, proposing that only biological males should be held in a male prison or holding facility, and that only biological females should be held in a female prison or holding facility.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office07/01/2025

Date Selected By Committee07/01/2025

Date of Plenary Debate20/01/2025

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Doug Beattie MC	MLA - Upper Bann
Ms Diana Armstrong	MLA - Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Mr Robbie Butler	MLA - Lagan Valley
Mr Andy Allen MBE	MLA - East Belfast

Bills

Outcome/Voting

81 Members voted

33 Members voted AYE

48 Members voted NO

1 Members voted in both lobbies and are not included in these results

The Motion Was Negatived, Simple Majority Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Dr Steve Aiken OBE	Unionist	AYE
Mr Andy Allen MBE	Unionist	AYE
Dr Caoimhe Archibald	Nationalist	NO
Ms Diana Armstrong	Unionist	AYE
Ms Kellie Armstrong	Other	NO
Mr Danny Baker	Nationalist	NO
Mr Doug Beattie MC	Unionist	AYE
Mr John Blair	Other	NO
Mr Cathal Boylan	Nationalist	NO
Mr Maurice Bradley	Unionist	AYE
Ms Paula Bradshaw	Other	NO
Mr Phillip Brett	Unionist	AYE
Mr David Brooks	Unionist	AYE
Ms Cheryl Brownlee	Unionist	AYE
Mr Tom Buchanan	Unionist	AYE
Mr Jonathan Buckley	Unionist	AYE
Ms Joanne Bunting	Unionist	AYE
Mr Robbie Butler	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Pam Cameron	Unionist	AYE
Mr Gerry Carroll	Other	NO
Mr Alan Chambers	Unionist	AYE
Mr Trevor Clarke	Unionist	AYE
Mr Colin Crawford	Unionist	AYE
Mr Pádraig Delargy	Nationalist	NO
Mr Stewart Dickson	Other	NO
Mrs Linda Dillon	Nationalist	NO
Mrs Diane Dodds	Unionist	AYE
Mr Danny Donnelly	Other	NO
Mr Stephen Dunne	Unionist	AYE
Mr Mark Durkan	Nationalist	NO
Ms Connie Egan	Other	NO
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	Nationalist	NO
Mrs Deborah Erskine	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Ciara Ferguson	Nationalist	NO
Miss Órlaithí Flynn	Nationalist	NO
Ms Diane Forsythe	Unionist	AYE
Mr Paul Frew	Unionist	AYE
Mr Timothy Gaston	Unionist	ABSTAINED
Mr Colm Gildernew	Nationalist	NO
Mr Paul Givan	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Michelle Guy	Other	NO
Miss Deirdre Hargey	Nationalist	NO
Mr Harry Harvey	Unionist	AYE
Mr David Honeyford	Other	NO
Ms Cara Hunter	Nationalist	NO
Mr William Irwin	Unionist	AYE
Mr Declan Kearney	Nationalist	NO
Ms Liz Kimmins	Nationalist	NO
Mr Brian Kingston	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Naomi Long	Other	NO
Mr Gordon Lyons	Unionist	AYE
Mr Declan McAleer	Nationalist	NO
Miss Nuala McAllister	Other	NO
Mr Daniel McCrossan	Nationalist	NO
Mr Patsy McGlone	Nationalist	NO
Mr Colin McGrath	Nationalist	NO
Mr Philip McGuigan	Nationalist	NO
Mr Maolíosa McHugh	Nationalist	NO
Miss Michelle McIlveen	Unionist	AYE
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin	Nationalist	NO
Mr Andrew McMurray	Other	NO
Mr Peter McReynolds	Other	NO
Mr Peter Martin	Unionist	AYE
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	NO
Mr Gary Middleton	Unionist	AYE
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	NO
Ms Sian Mulholland	Other	NO
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	NO
Mr Mike Nesbitt	Unionist	AYE
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín	Nationalist	NO
Ms Kate Nicholl	Other	NO
Mr John O'Dowd	Nationalist	NO
Ms Michelle O'Neill	Nationalist	NO
Mr Matthew O'Toole	Nationalist	NO
Ms Aisling Reilly	Nationalist	NO
Mr Alan Robinson	Unionist	AYE
Mr Pat Sheehan	Nationalist	NO
Ms Emma Sheerin	Nationalist	NO
Mr John Stewart	Unionist	AYE
Ms Claire Sugden	Unionist	NO
Mr Eóin Tennyson	Other	NO

Amendments

Selected Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	10/01/2025	Leave out all after ‘That this Assembly commits to’ and insert: ‘ensuring there is no diminution of societal rights, particularly the rights of women; maintains that our justice system must ensure that those placed in custody are given the basic human rights to safety and dignity and should not feel any more vulnerable than would be expected from having their liberty taken away; and calls on the Minister of Justice to bring forward supporting legislation and guidance to the judiciary, Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Public Prosecution Service, ensuring that only biological males are held in any male prison or holding facility, and that only biological females should be held in a female prison or holding facility.’

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
15/01/2025	Leave out all after ‘liberty taken away’
16/01/2025	Leave out all after ‘calls on the Minister of Justice’ and insert: ‘to ensure that the safety of everyone within prisons is the priority consideration when managing prison populations, including with regards to the admission of transgender prisoners.’
16/01/2025	Leave out all after ‘calls on the Minister of Justice’ and insert: ‘to commission independent, expert research on human rights and equality issues within the criminal justice system.’

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Protection of Rights and Safety in Custodial Facilities

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