The Committee for Justice is a Northern Ireland Assembly committee established to advise, assist and scrutinise the work of the Department of Justice and the Minister of Justice (currently Naomi Long). The Committee undertakes a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with respect to the Department of Justice and plays a key role in the consideration and development of legislation.

The committee was created following the devolution of policing and justice on 12 April 2010, as a result of the Hillsborough Castle Agreement, agreed under the premiership of Gordon Brown on 5 February 2010.

Membership Membership of the committee is as follows:

Party MemberConstituency Paul Frew MLA (Chairperson) North Antrim Deirdre Hargey MLA (Deputy Chairperson) Belfast South Danny Baker MLA Belfast West Doug Beattie MLA Upper Bann Maurice Bradley MLA East Londonderry Stephen Dunne MLA North Down Connie Egan MLA North Down Ciara Ferguson MLA Foyle Patsy McGlone MLA Mid Ulster

2022–2027 Assembly The committee met for the first time in the 2022–2027 Assembly on 15 February 2024.

Party MemberConstituency Joanne Bunting MLA (Chairperson) Belfast East Deirdre Hargey MLA (Deputy Chairperson) Belfast South Doug Beattie MLA Upper Bann Maurice Bradley MLA East Londonderry Stewart Dickson MLA East Antrim Alex Easton MLA North Down Sinéad Ennis MLA South Down Ciara Ferguson MLA Foyle Justin McNulty MLA Newry and Armagh

Changes 2022–2027 Date Outgoing member and party Constituency → New member and party Constituency 9 May 2024 Deirdre Hargey MLA (Deputy Chairperson, Sinn Féin) Belfast South → Sinéad Ennis MLA (Deputy Chairperson, Sinn Féin) South Down 28 May 2024 Sinéad Ennis MLA (Deputy Chairperson, Sinn Féin) South Down → Deirdre Hargey MLA (Deputy Chairperson, Sinn Féin) Belfast South 5 July 2024 Alex Easton MLA (Independent Unionist) North Down → Vacant 16 September 2024 Vacant → Stephen Dunne MLA (DUP) North Down 11 November 2024 Stewart Dickson MLA (Alliance) East Antrim → Connie Egan MLA (Alliance) North Down 2 December 2024 Sinéad Ennis MLA (Sinn Féin) South Down → Jemma Dolan MLA (Sinn Féin) Fermanagh and South Tyrone 10 February 2025 Jemma Dolan MLA (Sinn Féin) Fermanagh and South Tyrone → Danny Baker MLA (Sinn Féin) Belfast West 8 September 2025 Justin McNulty MLA (Sinn Féin) Newry and Armagh → Patsy McGlone MLA (Sinn Féin) Mid Ulster 15 September 2025 Joanne Bunting MLA (Chairperson, DUP) Belfast East → Paul Frew MLA (Chairperson, DUP) North Antrim 23 September 2025 Joanne Bunting MLA (DUP) Belfast East → Paul Frew MLA (DUP) North Antrim Stephen Dunne MLA (DUP) North Down Brian Kingston MLA (DUP) Belfast North

2017–2022 Assembly The committee met for the first time in the 2017–2022 Assembly on 22 January 2020.

Party MemberConstituency Paul Givan MLA (Chairperson) Lagan Valley Linda Dillon MLA (Deputy Chairperson) Mid Ulster Doug Beattie MLA Upper Bann Gordon Dunne MLA North Down Paul Frew MLA North Antrim Raymond McCartney MLA Foyle Patsy McGlone MLA Mid Ulster Pat Sheehan MLA Belfast West Rachel Woods MLA North Down

Changes 2017–2022 Date Outgoing member and party Constituency → New member and party Constituency 3 February 2020 Raymond McCartney MLA (Sinn Féin) Foyle → Vacant 17 February 2020 Vacant → Martina Anderson MLA (Sinn Féin) Foyle 9 March 2020 Martina Anderson MLA (Sinn Féin) Foyle → Emma Rogan MLA (Sinn Féin) South Down 16 March 2020 Pat Sheehan MLA (Sinn Féin) Belfast West → Jemma Dolan MLA (Sinn Féin) Fermanagh and South Tyrone 26 May 2020 Patsy McGlone MLA (SDLP) Mid Ulster → Sinéad Bradley MLA (SDLP) South Down 3 November 2020 Karen Mullan MLA (Sinn Féin) Foyle → Pat Sheehan MLA (Sinn Féin) Belfast West 14 June 2021 Paul Givan MLA (Chairperson, DUP) Lagan Valley → Mervyn Storey MLA (Chairperson, DUP) North Antrim 21 June 2021 Paul Frew MLA (DUP) North Antrim → Robin Newton MLA (DUP) Belfast North Gordon Dunne MLA (DUP) North Down Peter Weir MLA (DUP) Strangford 2 August 2021 Linda Dillon MLA (Deputy Chairperson, Sinn Féin) Mid Ulster → Sinéad Ennis MLA (Deputy Chairperson, Sinn Féin) South Down Source:

2016–2017 Assembly The committee met for the first time in the 2016–2017 Assembly on 1 June 2016.

Party MemberConstituency Paul Frew MLA (Chairperson) North Antrim Pam Cameron MLA (Deputy Chairperson) South Antrim Alex Attwood MLA Belfast West Clare Bailey MLA Belfast South Doug Beattie MLA Upper Bann Roy Beggs Jr MLA East Antrim Michaela Boyle MLA West Tyrone Sammy Douglas MLA Belfast East Declan Kearney MLA South Antrim Trevor Lunn MLA Lagan Valley Pat Sheehan MLA Belfast West

2011–2016 Assembly The committee met for the first time in the 2011–2016 Assembly on 26 May 2011.

Party MemberConstituency Paul Givan MLA (Chairperson) Lagan Valley Raymond McCartney MLA (Deputy Chairperson) Foyle Sydney Anderson MLA Upper Bann Stewart Dickson MLA East Antrim Colum Eastwood MLA Foyle Seán Lynch MLA Fermanagh and South Tyrone Alban Maginness MLA Belfast North Jennifer McCann MLA Belfast West Basil McCrea MLA Lagan Valley Peter Weir MLA North Down Jim Wells MLA South Down

Changes 2011–2016 Date Outgoing member and party Constituency → New member and party Constituency 23 April 2012 Colum Eastwood MLA (SDLP) Foyle → Patsy McGlone MLA (SDLP) Mid Ulster Basil McCrea MLA (UUP) Lagan Valley Tom Elliott MLA (UUP) Fermanagh and South Tyrone 10 September 2012 Jennifer McCann MLA (Sinn Féin) Belfast West → Rosie McCorley MLA (Sinn Féin) Belfast West 1 October 2012 Sydney Anderson MLA (DUP) Upper Bann → William Humphrey MLA (DUP) Belfast North Peter Weir MLA (DUP) North Down Alex Easton MLA (DUP) North Down 15 September 2013 Alex Easton MLA (DUP) North Down → Sydney Anderson MLA (DUP) Upper Bann 6 October 2014 Sydney Anderson MLA (DUP) Upper Bann → Sammy Douglas MLA (DUP) Belfast East William Humphrey MLA (DUP) Belfast North Paul Frew MLA (DUP) North Antrim Jim Wells MLA (DUP) South Down Edwin Poots MLA (DUP) Lagan Valley Rosie McCorley MLA (Sinn Féin) Belfast West Chris Hazzard MLA (DUP) South Down 10 December 2014 Paul Givan MLA (Chairperson, DUP) Lagan Valley → Alastair Ross MLA (Chairperson, DUP) East Antrim 30 June 2015 Tom Elliott MLA (UUP) Fermanagh and South Tyrone → Neil Somerville MLA (UUP) Fermanagh and South Tyrone 15 September 2015 Chris Hazzard MLA (Sinn Féin) South Down → Bronwyn McGahan MLA (Sinn Féin) Fermanagh and South Tyrone 30 November 2015 Neil Somerville MLA (UUP) Fermanagh and South Tyrone → Danny Kennedy MLA (UUP) Newry and Armagh 8 February 2016 Patsy McGlone MLA (SDLP) Mid Ulster → Alex Attwood MLA (SDLP) Belfast West

2007–2011 Assembly The committee met for the first time in the 2007–2011 Assembly on 22 April 2010.

Party MemberConstituency Maurice Morrow MLA (Chairperson) Fermanagh and South Tyrone Raymond McCartney MLA (Deputy Chairperson) Foyle Jonathan Bell MLA Strangford Jeffrey Donaldson MLA Lagan Valley Tom Elliott MLA Fermanagh and South Tyrone Jeffrey Donaldson MLA Lagan Valley Dolores Kelly MLA Upper Bann Alban Maginness MLA Belfast North David McNarry MLA Strangford Carál Ní Chuilín MLA Belfast North Alastair Ross MLA East Antrim

Changes 2007–2011 Date Outgoing member and party Constituency → New member and party Constituency 25 May 2010 Dolores Kelly MLA (SDLP) Upper Bann → Conall McDevitt MLA (SDLP) Belfast South 10 June 2010 Jeffrey Donaldson MLA (DUP) Lagan Valley → Vacant 25 June 2010 Alastair Ross MLA (DUP) East Antrim → Vacant 28 June 2010 Vacant → Paul Givan MLA (DUP) Lagan Valley 21 July 2010 Jonathan Bell MLA (DUP) Strangford → Vacant 14 September 2009 Vacant → Wallace Browne MLA (DUP) Belfast East Vacant Tom Buchanan MLA (DUP) West Tyrone 9 November 2010 Tom Elliott MLA (UUP) Fermanagh and South Tyrone → Reg Empey MLA (UUP) Belfast East

See also Committee

References

External links Committee for Justice at niassembly.gov.uk