AQO 577/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 01/09/2020
Answered On Date: 07/09/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice for an update on her legislative programme.

Answer:

In addition to the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage in the Assembly, I intend to bring forward three definite and one possible other separate Bills to the Assembly during the remainder of this mandate.

Upon the completion of pre-Introduction clearances and securing of the necessary Executive approvals, I plan to introduce a Criminal Justice (Committal Reform) Bill to the Assembly in October.

This will be followed by a Protection from Stalking Bill, drafting of which is at an advanced stage, in November / December.

Subject to the analysis of responses to a consultation exercise that concluded on 14 August, this may be followed by a tightly focussed Personal Injury Discount Rate (“Damages”) Bill in January 2021.

I then plan to bring forward a Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in spring 2021 to legislate for a number of discrete policy areas that do not come within scope of the other Bills in the mandate.

Introduction of the Justice Bill in early 2021 will ensure that the Bill can complete its Assembly scrutiny and passage before the House rises in March 2022 for the next local elections.