§ 38. Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives have been taken under the Anglo-Irish Agreement to increase confidence in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Tom KingA number of measures have been introduced in the period since the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement as part of the Government's continuing commitment to enhancing public confidence in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland.
These measures include a reduction since 1985 of nearly 50 per cent. on average in the time between committal and trial; allowing more cases to be heard before a jury by extending the list of offences which the Attorney-General can certify out of the scheduled mode of trial; changes to the statutory guidelines on the admissibility of confession evidence; putting the onus on the prosecution in bail applications; and placing on a statutory basis the rights of a person detained under the emergency legislation to have someone informed of their arrest and to have access to a solicitor within 48 hours.
In addition, the maximum period that police can hold suspected terrorists under the emergency legislation without further ministerial authority has been reduced 359W from 72 to 48 hours; arrest powers under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 are exerciseable only on the basis of reasonable suspicion and the Act itself must now be re-enacted from scratch every five years. There are now also annual reviews of the operation of the Act and the Government are committed to the publication of a code of practice in relation to the exercise of emergency powers.
We continue to seek any ways in which we can increase still further public confidence in the administration of justice.