NI: Bill to streamline committal process to be introduced before summer
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Naomi Long
Proposals to streamline the committal process for serious criminal cases will be brought before MLAs before the summer recess, Justice Minister Naomi Long has said.
The Committal Reform Bill will allow for serious cases to be transferred directly to the Crown Court without the need for a traditional committal hearing.
The bill will build on the Justice Act (NI) 2015, which provided for the abolition of committal for murder and manslaughter cases.
Answering a question in Stormont, Ms Long said the Department of Justice is “presently considering the removal of further offences from the committal process”.
In the long-term, the Department aims to abolish committal proceedings entirely for all Crown Court cases, as recommended by the Northern Ireland Audit Office in 2018.
Ms Long added: “For those Crown Court cases which are not initially subject to direct committal, the Bill will seek to remove oral evidence from victims and witnesses as part of the committal process, effectively abolishing preliminary investigations and mixed committals.”
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