Coronavirus will affect pace at which other matters get scrutiny

Politicians enact laws that enable police forces to detect and apprehend abusers and bring them before the courts for appropriate sentences.

It is appropriate therefore for Stormont to examine the blight of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland, and see what can be done to help to minimise it. It is the sort of work that devolved parliaments should be doing.

A draft law on domestic abuse introduced at the assembly includes far reaching provisions, such criminalising controlling behaviour and extending the prohibition on court cross-examination in person.

These are massive steps that need comprehensive scrutiny before they reach the statute book to be sure that they have no unintended consequences.

Northern Ireland, like the rest of the world, is embroiled in a health crisis. That cannot mean that everything else stops, and indeed we want society to continue as much as is feasible.

But there will be implications for the speed with which other matters can be handled with the rigour that they need.

That is why the PSNI reassigned officers who are working in its legacy branch are being reassigned. Similarly it would be inappropriate to begin any of the pending legacy inquests now, which will cost millions of pounds.

There has been a huge public clamour for resources to be diverted to supporting enterprises and individuals who face financial ruin due to coronavirus.

The outstanding generosity of the government has been a reminder of how fortunate NI is to be part of the UK. Even so there are demands that the Treasury give more.

That has implications across politics during this emergency. If some matters of policy take longer to come to fruition and get the consideration they deserve then that will have to happen. What a pity that the liberalisation of abortion law, which too needs urgent scrutiny, was not put on hold for now.