Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly met with staff and students at Ulster University yesterday in order to find out more about the university’s work across the legal sector.

The Assembly justice committee visited the institution to hear about its significant contribution to the development of Northern Ireland’s justice system, from nurturing the future leaders of the sector to producing the world-leading research that can shape and inform policy.

Committee members met with staff and students from the School of Law and School of Criminology, Politics and Social Policy, as well as the university’s Transitional Justice Institute and Institute for Research in Social Sciences.

The committee then held its weekly meeting on the university grounds, taking evidence from consultant Colin Stutt on the Access to Justice Review Part 2 report.

Ulster University subsequently went on to host the latest in a series of Justice Innovation seminars pioneered by the justice committee, with Dr Eugene McNamee and Dr Gráinne McKeever leading a discussion headlined Developing Digital Justice for NI: challenges and opportunities.

The seminar explored opportunities and solutions that the digital age provides for improving and enhancing access to justice in Northern Ireland.

Alastair Ross MLA, chair of the committee, told Irish Legal News: “As a Committee we value the opportunity to meet with justice stakeholders and over the past year have hosted Committee Meetings in the Inn of Court, NIACRO and now the Ulster University.

“In addition to our formal meeting it was useful to learn more about the Ulster Law Clinic and meet with students from the university. Our visit also included the latest in our series of ‘Justice Innovation Seminars’ which focussed on digital solutions to traditional problems.

“It is only through collaboration between government, academia and the legal community that we can address the issues in the criminal justice sector and identify possible solutions and much needed reforms.”