Published date:
The Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime in Northern Ireland has today written to all Northern Ireland MPs who were elected at the general election on 4 July urging them to work towards a long-term funding framework that can improve the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland for victims of crime.
Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna said
“I’ve written to all MPs from Northern Ireland calling on them to do what they can to make sure there is a long-term fiscal framework put in place for Northern Ireland that is able to adequately and sustainably support a criminal justice system that works for victims of crime.
“Those victims are currently being served by a criminal justice system that has been chronically underfunded for over a decade now and it shows.
“Long delays that never get tackled, lack of confidence in the system and agencies that are stretched to breaking point.
“While justice is devolved and it’s up to Ministers at Stormont to decide on how much of our budget is allocated to each department, it’s the government in Westminster that will decide the budget that our Executive Ministers have to allocate.
“Our MPs have a crucial role to play in making sure the financial settlement from Westminster is sustainable and able to support a criminal justice system that works for victims of crime.”