‘Domestic abuse’: Justice minister sparks uproar as she halts own priority bill in its tracks

The bill aims to clamp down on “domestic abuse”, and would stand to criminalise certain non-violent behaviour within relationships.

Alliance leader Mrs Long has made clear that the bill is one of her key projects, and had voiced hope that it should become law before the end of 2020.

But in the Assembly today she unexpectedly withdrew it from debate, prompting anger from some fellow Assembly members.

The reason for her calling a halt to the bill was because of an amendment which the justice committee had agreed to make to it.

The amendment originated with Green Party MLA Rachel Woods, and won general support from the cross-party committee members.

According to the Greens, the aim of the amendment was to expand access to legal aid in child contact hearings, where domestic abuse was a factor.

But today Mrs Long told Stormont “the impact on the Executive’s Budget would be potentially catastrophic” if the bill was amended in the way the committee wanted.

“It would be RHI on steroids,” she said.

“It is imperative, therefore, that we do not proceed unless either amendment Number 15 is withdrawn or we have time to investigate this important issue.”

This spurred Paul Givan, the DUP chairman of the justice committee, to round upon Mrs Long.

“This is a shameful course of action by the justice minister,” he said.

“What she is doing today in respect of this issue is a disgrace... This is an abuse of the democratic process, and caught in the middle are victims of domestic abuse. That is what makes it all the more despicable.

“The minister should be moving the further consideration stage. It is for the Assembly to decide whether it votes for amendments that are tabled.”

Mrs Long responded by saying it was within her rights as minister not to move the bill if she so wished.

She said by waiving the “financial eligibility test” for legal aid, in child access cases where domestic abuse was alleged, the public coffers would be exposed to “significant” costs.

It all came on the same day that the DUP MLA Alex Easton issued a press release, saying he was “extremely annoyed and extremely fed up to see that our legal aid system is paying out vast sums of money” (which totalled £98.7 million in 2019/20).

WHAT IS IN THE BILL?

Following lobbying from feminists, the phrase “domestic violence” has been replaced in the last couple of years by “domestic abuse”.

This covers activities that stop short of being physical or explicitly threatening.

Naomi Long’s bill was put forward in spring, and would criminalise “psychological and emotionally harmful behaviour”.

Under the law, this “abuse” would be a crime even if there is no harm caused to anyone.

Instead, it will be enough that a “reasonable person” would consider the behaviour to be potentially harmful.

For more on the bill click here: PSNI warned not to over-step powers on domestic abuse after force indicates ‘giving someone the silent treatment’ is a criminal offence

Click here: Stormont government mulling creation of a domestic abuse code-word to be used in pharmacies

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