2020

An inspection report on probation practice has made 11 recommendations to improve the Probation Board for Northern Ireland’s (PBNI’s)  governance arrangements and deliver better services and outcomes.

CJI Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin has commended the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for their considerable progress in implementing inspection recommendations made by CJI to improve how business crime is dealt with in Northern Ireland.
 

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) has today (12 November 2020) published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2019-20.   

The Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Jacqui Durkin, has today (11 November) announced Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) is to undertake a review of the use of Care and Supervision Units by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS).

Inspectors have commenced work on an inspection of how the criminal justice system treats females in conflict with the law.  Terms of reference for the inspection have been provided to the criminal justice agencies and are available to view or download here.

Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin talks about the findings of CJI’s first in-depth inspection of how the criminal justice system deals with modern slavery and human trafficking in Northern Ireland.

CJI is pleased to welcome two new appointees to its Inspection Team.  Muireann Bohill joins CJI having previously worked as a Senior Public Prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.  Maureen Erne is a former Senior Investigating Officer overseeing Deaths in Custody with the Office of the Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. 
 

CJI's Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin has today published the findings of a joint inspection of police custody arrangements carried out by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland and colleagues from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

Inspectors are about to commence an inspection of  Effective Penalty Enforcement.  The terms of reference have been provided to the criminal justice agencies and are available Here.
 

CJI’s latest inspection report has looked at how victims and witnesses are treated by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. Victims and Witnesses inspection Key Facts.

CJI’s Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin has raised concerns about the effectiveness of current arrangements in place within the criminal justice system to protect children.
 

Jacqui Durkin has visited the Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre to view the arrangements in place to protect staff and young people from Covid-19 and hear about their experiences.  She was joined during the visit by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children Young People Koulla Yiasouma.  Ms Durkin thanked everyone who facilitated the visit.

CJI has responded to a request from the Committee for Justice for comments on the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill 2020.

Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin has published CJI’s Corporate Plan for the next three years and annual Business Plan which includes the Inspection Programme for 2020-21.
 

CJI has used social media for the first time to launch its 2020-23 Corporate Plan and Business Plan and Inspection Programme for 2020-21.
 

A special edition of the External Prison Oversight and Human Rights Network newsletter has been published looking at oversight in prisons in the context of Coronavirus-COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chair of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) John Wadham has written to the Minister of Justice, Naomi Long MLA on behalf of the members of the NMIP in Northern Ireland to highlight the vital importance of efforts to uphold the rights of people in detention and deprived of their liberty during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The UK National Preventive Mechanism 10th Annual Report has been published and laid before Parliament.

The report outlines the work of the NPM bodies during 2018-19

Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin has called on the PSNI and Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (OPONI)  to work hard together to strengthen trust and repair damage to public confidence, following the PSNI’s failure to disclose sensitive information linked to an historic case in late 2018

A follow-up review on work to implement CJI inspection recommendations aimed at improving road safety and enforcement of road traffic laws has found only two of five recommendations have been fully achieved.
 

CJI is seeking a new Inspector to join its Inspection Team on a full time basis.

The inspection of a charity-run project that verifies threats made against individuals and families by paramilitary and other sources has found it to be operating with integrity to deliver clear humanitarian outcomes.

In 2017 CJI carried out a review of how Cyber Crime was dealt with in Northern Ireland and made seven recommendations to the PSNI for improvements.
 

CJI’s Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin today met Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA to discuss the work of the Inspectorate and brief her on forthcoming inspection reports.
 

CJI Deputy Chief Inspector James Corrigan and Dr Ian Cameron from CJI have met with the Rt. Hon. Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC, Ian Kernohan and Paul Allen from the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing in Scotland.
 

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland’s Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin and Deputy Chief Inspector James Corrigan have become the latest signatories of the Women’s Aid White Ribbon Charter.