Ms Sugden was speaking as she opened the annual conference of the UK-wide Law Centres Network (LCN), which took place in Belfast.

She outlined plans to bring both a domestic abuse offence and a domestic violence disclosure scheme to Northern Ireland, as well as bringing Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK on stalking.

She said it was “particularly concerning that many individuals who come into contact with the justice system suffer from mental health difficulties” and said she was “determined to make effective progress on this issue through cross-departmental working” with the Department of Health.

Ms Sugden added: “I am also committed to delivering the best outcomes for older people, helping them to feel safe and supported in their homes and communities.

“Finally, for many children, being drawn into the criminal justice system is not in their best interests, and a range of measures have been introduced to divert them away from the formal justice system and from custody in particular.”

Ms Sugden also spoke about her “problem solving justice” approach, which focusses on “building a greater understanding of the causes of offending behaviour, and working across government to help those who are vulnerable to offending at the earliest possible stage”.

She said: “The key to the success of the Problem Solving Justice model will be collaborative working throughout the justice sector, across government, and with the voluntary and community sector in order to identify and help vulnerable individuals towards these services.”