Ford to set out vision for justice

4.28.00pm GMT Sun 6th Jun 2010

Justice Minister David Ford

David Ford will tomorrow set out how he intends to reshape the justice system.

In a keynote speech to an invited audience, the Justice Minister will detail his vision for a future justice system which fits the needs of Northern Ireland.

He will describe the devolution of policing and justice as a once in a generation opportunity to reshape the justice system to build a safer Northern Ireland, with lower levels of crime; safer, shared communities and justice for all.

David Ford said: "When I was elected Justice Minister on April 12, I told the Assembly that this was not the completion of the process, but a staging post, it was not a one day event but a process that must deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.

"Tomorrow's speech will provide a platform to outline the opportunities that devolution has provided and detail what I intend to do to ensure that we grasp them.

"I will also be making a very strong case for building partnerships to make Northern Ireland safer. These partnerships cannot just be at a political level, they must be across the criminal justice system and across our community."

The Department will bring to the Assembly Northern Ireland's first Justice Bill in almost 40 years after the summer recess.

But the Minister also wants to move forward on a number of issues in the Hillsborough Castle Agreement and others he has identified since taking up office.

He said: "I didn't join this Executive because I thought being Justice Minister would be easy, or because no-one else was prepared to take on the job or because I was the only nominee who could secure cross-community support that was required.

"I took it on because I was ambitious for our community and ambitious about the opportunities that the devolution of justice presents to make a real difference."