LISTEN - Plans to fast track NI legacy inquests given go ahead

by Q Radio News

Long awaited plans to fast track Legacy Inquests in Northern Ireland have been given the go ahead. 

In a shock budget announcement from the Department of Justice, £55million will be released over six years.

The Lord Chief Justice first suggested plans to clear the backlog in 2016, using a new Legacy Inquest Unit supported by other bodies such as the PSNI. 

Peter May, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Justice said, “The delays in progressing legacy inquests have been unacceptable to families involved and to the justice system. 

“In the Hughes Judicial Review judgment, the Court ruled that progress on securing funding for legacy inquests should not be linked with agreement on the overall legacy package but taken forward as a separate issue.

“This initiative takes account of that judgment and will support a significant expansion of capacity to clear the outstanding legacy inquests over the next six years.

“I am grateful to both the Lord Chief Justice for developing his proposals to reform legacy inquest process and to the Department of Finance for agreeing to the business case to bring this programme into operation.”

Meanwhile, former Justice Minister Claire Sugden says the news will be a relief to families: 

Funding for legacy inquests formed part of the discussion on departmental allocations agreed as part of an overall Budget for 2019-20.

A new Legacy Inquest Unit will be set up within the Coroners Service to process inquests, under the remit of the Lord Chief Justice as President of Coroners Courts.

The Unit will be supported by increased capacity in PSNI, the Public Prosecution Service and other justice agencies.

The six year timescale for the initiative reflects the need to build up capacity and the complexity of the outstanding legacy inquest cases.