Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (Extension of Duration of Non-jury Trial Provisions) Order 2023

Debate between Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick and Lord Browne of Belmont

Monday 5th June 2023 Grand Committee

[Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his presentation of the SI. I declare an interest as a member of your Lordships’ Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee.

Some 29 years after the ceasefires and 25 years since the Good Friday agreement, it is worrying that there is still a need for an extension of such a power. Although I am not personally opposed to this legislation, I feel that non-jury trials should be an exception rather than the rule. I think the Minister characterised it in that light in his presentation, but I want to know how many such trials took place last year. We have the figure for 2021 in the Explanatory Memorandum but not for 2022.

The Minister gave us the indicators. We probably could have guesstimated those anyway.

We know that the threat level was increased on 28 March this year to “severe”, due to the increased level of dissident republican activity. As the Minister referred to, we had the threatened murder of DCI Caldwell. I am glad to see that he is making a recovery, having been released from hospital and having had some time at home. In fact, he was able to attend the garden party last week at Hillsborough, which showed an improvement in his physical health. I hope he makes enormous strides in that respect.

Only a few days ago, we witnessed on our TV screens and social media an alleged taxi driver taking a gun to a client. He was sacked from his job, although I understand he was not necessarily acting for that firm at the time. Notwithstanding that, he was apparently acting as a drug enforcer for one of the paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.

Some 29 years since the ceasefires, the public in Northern Ireland want an end to such paramilitary and criminal activity; they have had enough of it. They do not want to be brought to heel by such paramilitary organisations and criminal gangs; they want to see an end to it. If this debate does anything, it will tell those people, “Get off the backs of the people of Northern Ireland”. We are sick, sore and tired of it, and we want to live in peace and harmony. We want to see the restoration of our political institutions, which, I hope, will be able to help foster economic opportunity for us all.

Related to this is the legacy Bill, which the Minister is also involved in. I know that on the Bill’s last day in Committee he referred to game-changing government amendments. When will they be published? I hope that he is not as surprised as the expression on his face suggests. I want to know when they will be available and what they will cover. Will they enable access to inquests and inquiries? Will they be compatible with the ECHR?

In conclusion, although I do not have a strong aversion to this SI and I generally support it, I hope that it will be the exception to the rule. There could very well be a further extension, depending on terrorist and paramilitary activity in 2025, but I hope that we are looking to bright, fresher new days where terrorism will definitely be a thing of the past and we will not need this type of legislation.

[Lord Browne of Belmont (DUP)]

My Lords, I support these non-jury provisions. I am sure that we all want a jury-based justice system. The diversity of a jury is one of its strengths and it has been proved that juries are fair, effective and efficient. However, as we have heard, unfortunately there exists a severe threat from terrorism in Northern Ireland. It is to be regretted that there is still present in Northern Ireland society a small number of people who are actively involved in terrorism. They do not hesitate to intimidate jury members, witnesses and families involved in their cases. Therefore, the extension of the duration of non-jury trial provision is needed.

Of course, as we have heard, it is hoped that the suspension of jury trials will be a temporary measure and that the time will come when non-jury trials will not be necessary, but this can be achieved only when it is safe to do so. As we have heard, it is important to note that the vast majority of Crown Court cases in Northern Ireland are held with a jury. During 2021, only eight non-jury trials took place, which means that 0.6% of all Crown Court cases in Northern Ireland were conducted without a jury.

There are many safeguards in this before we can have a non-jury system. For example, the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland can only consider issuing a certificate for a non-jury trial. The judge also must give reasonable reasons for convictions. Indeed, from the defendant’s point of view, any person convicted before a non-jury court has a right of appeal against sentence or conviction without leave. There are built-in safeguards before these trials can take place.