Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Claire Sugden is working to enhance the domestic violence listing arrangement in Derry as a matter of priority over the next five years.

The arrangements, introduced in 2011, ensure that domestic violence cases are clustered and heard by him on specifically designated days.

Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Ms Sugden said: “An evaluation of the scheme, undertaken in 2014, indicated that the arrangement makes a tangible difference to victims of domestic violence and abuse who have to face what is often a daunting and overwhelming journey through the criminal justice process.

“Some improvements to support services available to victims were identified, and, in March this year, my predecessor announced that the arrangements should be enhanced before further consideration is given to rolling out the model across other areas of Northern Ireland.”

She added: “My Department is, therefore, taking the necessary steps to enhance the existing domestic violence listing arrangement through the introduction of a pilot court-supervised perpetrator programme.

“In my role as Justice Minister, I have already met Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, and I will continue to engage with him and other stakeholders as I look to the future of this specific arrangement and in seeking more widely to address domestic and sexual violence and abuse in Northern Ireland.”