NEWS

Nexus NI has been awarded the contract to manage the Domestic and Sexual Abuse (DSA) Helpline, a free, confidential 24/7 support service for anyone impacted by domestic and/or sexual abuse in Northern Ireland. The contract was jointly awarded by the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Department for Communities. It will run for an initial three-year period, followed by two optional extension periods of two years each. 24/7 support for victims and survivors The Dom

Young Ballymena woman Chloe Mitchell who was brutally murdered in the town. The Chloe Mitchell trial will proceed after Justice Minister Naomi Long and representatives of the Criminal Bar Association reached agreement following talks aimed at resolving the current impasse within the criminal justice system. In a joint statement issued on Sunday (15 February), the Minister and the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) confirmed that an accelerated review of the fees structure will co

Inset: SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn has expressed delight that his campaign for the introduction of Caoimhé’s Law is continuing to gather momentum, with the Justice Minister and two Northern Ireland local authorities now pledging their support. In October 2025, the Torrent DEA representative tabled a motion calling for legal restrictions on the sharing on social media of images and videos taken at the scenes of serious road traffic collisions.

Justice Minister Naomi Long pictured with Nexus NI CEO Joanne Barnes at the annual conference of charity Nexus NI, which works with survivors of abuse, and which this year had the theme ‘Unmasking sexual abuse – uncomfortable truths’. Justice Minister Naomi Long has said that sexual abuse continues to thrive in silence, secrecy and discomfort, warning that confronting it requires sustained action from everyone across society. The Minister was speaking in Belfast at the annua

Concerns over the handling of the PSNI data breach have intensified after the names of 41 serving police officers were published on publicly accessible online court lists, sparking political criticism and renewed calls for urgent action from the Justice Minister. The Department of Justice confirmed that the names appeared on the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service website in connection with civil actions linked to the PSNI data breach scandal. The department has sin

Murder victim Victor Hamilton, and the scene of the incident in Orkney Drive, Ballymena. Ulster Unionist justice spokesperson Doug Beattie MC MLA has challenged serious failures in the deportation of foreign national offenders, citing the murder of a Ballymena resident as a stark example of systemic breakdowns within Northern Ireland’s Criminal Justice System. Speaking about the killing of Victor Hamilton in July 2022, Mr Beattie said the case exposed “yet another failing” i

Former District Commander for Mid and East Antrim, Superintendent Gerry McGrath, marking Emergency Services Day at The Braid in Ballymena. Former Mid and East Antrim PSNI District Commander, Superintendent Gerry McGrath , has been appointed as a trustee of the RUC George Cross Foundation following his recent retirement from frontline policing. The appointment forms part of a wider set of board confirmations announced today (14 January) by Justice Minister Naomi Long , who has

Justice Minister Naomi Long is pictured during a visit to PSNI Organised Crime Branch with PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck and Chief Superintendent Emma Neill. The public has been urged to fully support Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers working throughout the Christmas and New Year period, as Justice Minister Naomi Long praised frontline staff for their commitment to keeping communities safe during one of the busiest times of the year. During a visit

Prison staff at Hydebank Wood College have teamed up with Start 360 and Ardoyne Youth Club in a new pilot project supporting prisoners leaving prison by providing each one with a ‘You Matter’ pack of toiletries including toothpaste, shower gel and antiperspirant as well as water and cuppa soup. Pictured are Grainne Griffith, Start 360, Seaneen Farrelly, Hydebank Wood Prisoner Development Unit Governor, and Stephen Konrad, Ardoyne YC Youth Worker. Prisoners leaving Hydebank Wo

Pictured during a visit to the Hate Crime Advocacy Service (HCAS) Justice Minister Naomi Long with Chloe Barton, Rainbow Project; Anna Pustelnik, HCAS manager; Janice Bunting, CEO Victim Support NI; Dawn McCartney, Disability Action; Jolena Flett, Head of Advocacy and Project and Lucy Fitzgerald, Policy and Communications Manager. Referrals to Northern Ireland’s Hate Crime Advocacy Service (HCAS) have increased by more than a third in the past year, with Justice Minister Naom

Emma Rose Duffy has experience volunteering with the NSPCC Young Witness Service and obtained a master’s degree in Children’s Rights, before qualifying as a solicitor in 2019. Working with the Children’s Law Centre, she promoted the rights of young people in the legal system, with a particular focus on mental health, prior to taking up the CSOLA role. A new series of awareness-raising videos has been launched by the Department of Justice to highlight a free legal advisory ser

Justice Minister Naomi Long with (from left) David Kennedy, Director of Prisons, Richard Taylor, Governor of Hydebank Wood Secure College, and Beverley Wall, Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Justice Minister Naomi Long has congratulated staff at Hydebank Wood Secure College after the South Belfast facility received a significant international award recognising its leadership in rehabilitation. The accolade, presented by the International Corrections an

A total of £259,091 has been awarded to ten community and voluntary sector projects that provide vital support for victims of domestic and sexual abuse across Northern Ireland. The funding, jointly provided by the Departments of Justice and Health under the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Small Grant Scheme, will enable organisations to deliver trauma-informed counselling, crisis intervention, and specialist legal advice to victims and survivors. Announcing the funding, Justice Min

Marking Prisons Week (13-18 October), Beverley Wall, Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, visited Maghaberry Prison...

Inset: Justice Minister Naomi Long Justice Minister Naomi Long has urged the public to “keep fireworks fun” this Halloween by applying...

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Jon Burrows, and Bailey the dog Bailey, the Cocker Spaniel at the centre of a high-profile animal welfare row,...

Pictured: North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has raised fresh concerns over the health risks faced by prison...

Justice Minister Naomi Long Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced a sweeping package of reforms aimed at tackling domestic abuse,...

(L-R) Pictured in the ‘Area of Peace’ RUC George Cross Foundation Memorial Garden, located at PSNI headquarters, Belfast is RUC GC...

Bailey the dog Bailey, a support dog kept inside HM Prison Magilligan, has been removed from the facility and placed in a temporary home...