Lord Chief Justice, Judges of the Supreme Court of Judicature, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I am particularly pleased that my first duty this morning has been to preside at the swearing-in of a new High Court Judge, Mr Justice Weir. May I offer you my congratulations, judge, as you join the High Court.
Lord Chief Justice, this is my second visit to Northern Ireland since my appointment as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.
I pay tribute this morning to the singular contribution to the administration of justice in Northern Ireland made by my predecessor as Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine. I know how much Derry Irvine valued his role as head of the judiciary in Northern Ireland and Minister for the Northern Ireland Court Service. I hope that I too shall come to be regarded, as was my predecessor, as a staunch supporter of the judiciary and the administration of justice in this jurisdiction.
The fact that I shall almost certainly be the last person to hold the historic office of Lord Chancellor, and that I am the first to hold office as Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, will not diminish either my personal commitment to this jurisdiction or the Government's to the preservation of the basic principle of justice, including the independence of the judiciary. The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs will continue to have an important role in Northern Ireland, not least in relation to the judiciary, the Northern Ireland Court Service and Legal Aid.
Her Majesty's Government remains fully committed to the principle of devolution. Indeed, the Government has made clear that it is committed to extending devolution in Northern Ireland to include responsibility for policing and justice when the circumstances permit.
In the meantime, while devolution is temporarily suspended, the process of reform continues apace. In May, the British and Irish Governments announced a range of measures which will sustain the continued implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
Officials are putting the finishing touches to a new Justice Bill to be introduced into Parliament this Autumn. Among the reforms being carried-forward in the new Justice Bill is the establishment of a Judicial Appointments Commission for Northern Ireland ahead of the devolution of justice. A Judicial Appointments Commission was one of the principal recommendations of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Review set up under the Belfast Agreement. This is in no sense to be taken as a criticism of the excellent appointments which have been made in the past - I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the independence, quality and courage of the judiciary in this jurisdiction. It is, rather, to suggest that the process through which such appointments are made would be likely to attract an even greater measure of public confidence through being more open and transparent than before. This is entirely in keeping with modern expectations of how such public appointments should be made.
While the Criminal Justice Review is an important driver for reform in Northern Ireland, it is by no means the only one. My officials in the Northern Ireland Court Service have been working on the fundamental redesign of the legal aid system. The enactment by Parliament of the Access to Justice Order, leading to the establishment of the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission this November, will give effect to the most significant reform of publicly funded legal services in the Province since the establishment of the legal aid scheme in 1965. As we shall spend something in the region of £50m on the Northern Ireland legal aid system this year it is important to ensure that we are obtaining full value for this expenditure and that we are directing these resources to those in greatest need.
These reforms underscore our commitment to highest quality in the administration of justice and to initiate change where improvements can and should be made. The Government is not however in the business of change for change's sake. It is, rather, committed to reform where improvement is possible and to greater openness and transparency in the conduct of public affairs.
It is right that I should outline this morning the many important reforms which the Government is committed to driving through. It is also right, that I reassure you that while the details of the constitutional architecture may change, the stability and continuity that are among the strengths of the administration of justice will remain. The courts will continue to sit, and the judges will continue to judge. It is, moreover, the firm resolution of the Government that we shall uphold and sustain the fundamental values of an independent judiciary and of courts of law where justice is dispensed without fear or favour.
Lord Chief Justice, I offer you and your brother judges, and all who work in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland, these assurances and my sincere best wishes for the new Legal Year that begins today.