The Law Society of Northern Ireland has urged the new Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that access to justice is a priority after the elections to the Assembly on 5 May.

Its Justice Agenda 2022, launched yesterday (5 April), calls on elected representatives to commit to “sustainable and realistic investment” to fix the issues that it says have “long plagued” Northern Ireland’s justice system.

On legal aid, the organisation says that a ring-fenced budget of not less than £82 million is needed to protect access to justice for the most vulnerable citizens.

The society also points out that financial eligibility thresholds for civil legal aid are now 13 years out of date, and calls for them to be increased, to ensure those on lower incomes have their rights protected.

Backlog

The solicitors’ body also calls for urgent investment and reform of Northern Ireland’s courts, saying that its Crown Court case backlog is now expected to extend past 2027.

The organisation is also calling for progress to address legacy issues, and measures to support economic recovery.

“As society faces an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, it is more important than ever that those in power protect our most vulnerable by ensuring they have access to justice,” said Brigid Napier (President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland).

“The Law Society is committed to working constructively with the incoming executive, and the next justice minister, to ensure we have a system that is fit for purpose,” she added.