Justice Minister Naomi Long has initiated a public consultation to gather views on whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) should be afforded greater powers to manage certain offences through out-of-court disposals.

These proposals are designed to provide a more timely and proportionate response to a range of offending behaviours, thereby freeing up capacity and resources within the court system for more serious cases and accelerating the overall delivery of justice.

Launching the consultation, Minister Long acknowledged the persistent challenges within the criminal justice system. "Our criminal justice system continues to be under significant pressure; there are still significant backlogs in our courts, and cases are taking too long," she stated. The Minister emphasised that tackling delays remains a longstanding priority for her Department and its partners, recognising it as a complex issue not unique to Northern Ireland. "The benefits of dealing with cases more quickly through the use of out-of-court disposals, where appropriate, are well recognised and can deliver swift and effective justice which can help to deter future offending," she added.

Minister Long clarified the intent behind the proposals: "This isn't about letting offenders off the hook, but delivering punishments in the most appropriate way and maximising court capacity to deal with the most serious cases quicker. The proposals outlined in the consultation paper provide us with the opportunity to re-balance our system by finding better, more efficient ways of dealing with low-level offending."

The Department of Justice is keen to hear from a broad spectrum of the public, including community and voluntary organisations, and anyone else with an interest in Northern Ireland's criminal justice system.

The consultation opened today, Tuesday, 8 July 2025, and will remain open until Sunday, 28 September 2025. Access to the consultation document is available via the Publication Section of the Department of Justice website.