Naomi Long

The sum comprises £20.45m over five years which has been allocated to help speed up and transform the criminal justice system and £2.19m which has been allocated to an electronic monitoring project.

Justice minister Naomi Long said: “Tackling delay is a key priority for me and this additional funding will go some way to reducing avoidable delay across the justice system.

“The speeding up and transforming the criminal justice proposal aims to change the model of delivery for criminal justice, reducing delay and maximising efficiencies.

“Ensuring cases are dealt with appropriately and proportionately, gives a clear public message that crime is dealt with quickly and effectively.

“Speeding up justice and reducing delays puts the victims and witnesses at the heart of the justice system, giving them swift resolutions and reducing the angst that inevitably comes with prolonged cases.

“Swift justice should also act as a deterrent to those who seek to engage in crime and will ultimately contribute to safer communities.”

The £20.45m funding will enable essential work to be progressed in the areas of early engagement — “working with PSNI, prosecution and defence to maximise early engagement, promoting effective case progression and earlier resolution of cases proceeding through the formal court system” — and out-of-court disposals.

On electronic monitoring, Mrs Long said: “The additional funding of £2.19m for electronic tagging will allow my department to transform the way in which it monitors individuals released into the community.

“Aspects under consideration include the implementation of a GPS location monitoring for those on bail or on licence fitted with an electronic tag (as part of their release conditions).

“This enhanced monitoring could be used to strengthen bail conditions, probation orders, or prison release conditions and will provide accurate real-time monitoring of offenders.”