Sinn Féin MLA Linda Dillon has expressed her concern at the slow rate of progress in implementing key recommendations to improve handling of domestic abuse cases from the 2019 ‘No Excuse’ report by the Criminal Justice Inspection. 

Speaking after the publication of a Follow-Up Review today by the Criminal Justice Inspection, the party’s Justice Spokesperson said: 

“It is concerning and disappointing that nearly two years after the original ‘No Excuse’ report was published, only one recommendation has been fully implemented. 

“Domestic abuse is a scourge on our society, and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with police officers being called to respond to a domestic incident every 16 minutes. 

“This latest evidence of slow progress follows the publication of Implementation Plan to deliver the recommendations from the Gillen Review into serious sexual offence cases in July 2020, which revealed that only 11% of the report’s recommendations had, at that point, been implemented over a year on from the Review’s publication. 

“I am concerned that a pattern demonstrating slow progress is now emerging and the Justice Minister and the Department of Justice have a responsibility to now turn the tide. 

“Inspection reports and their important recommendations are essential to improving the criminal justice system, however without speedy implementation they will turn into a waste of time and resources. 

“At the heart of this work is victims of some of the most disturbing and deeply hurtful crimes, and we must do all we can to support them.”