Sir John Gillen

According to the implementation plan, 11 per cent of the 253 recommendations made in Sir John’s final report, issued over a year ago, have so far been fully implemented.

These include measures to expedite court cases involving children under the age of 13, the appointment of case progression officers to reduce delays in some courts, and new work between police and prosecutors to improve the disclosure process.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “Cases involving sexual crime are some of the most intrusive and difficult for victims to endure. We want to do everything in our power to support victims of these crimes through every stage of their journey through the justice system.

“The completion of this implementation plan marks an important step towards the delivery of better outcomes in these cases.”

The implementation plan sets out a number of strategic priority areas, including the establishment of a new remote evidence centre, the introduction of a committal reform bill, and scoping work on the provision of additional support to young victims and witnesses.

Ms Long said: “I want to thank colleagues across partner organisations for their efforts to take action to address the issues raised in the Gillen Review to date, and for engaging with my Department to develop this plan to further that work collaboratively. It is my hope that working together, we can deliver real change across the justice system.”