Publication date:
The opening of the Public Prosecution Service’s (PPS) new Foyle Chambers is a key milestone for the PPS and brings the criminal justice system closer to local people in the North West, Criminal Justice Minister, Paul Goggins said today.
The Minister joined Sir Alasdair Fraser, Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Jack, PPS Regional Prosecutor, local political and civic representatives and local criminal justice and voluntary sector partners at the official opening of Foyle Chambers, PPS’s fifth regional office.
The new office, the second office in PPS’s Northern Region, will provide a comprehensive prosecution service for the people of Londonderry, Limavady and Magherafelt.
Paul Goggins: “The creation of the Public Prosecution Service was one of the flagship reforms flowing from the Criminal Justice Review. "Today's opening of the regional office in Foyle, covering the North West is a key milestone for the Public Prosecution Service and has brought the criminal justice system closer to the local people. "The PPS and its staff have worked tirelessly embracing change and creating a public facing service within the community throughout Northern Ireland and I am confident that as a modern day organisation they will continue to meet the challenges they face."
Sir Alasdair Fraser said: “I am delighted that PPS now has a new fully operational regional office in Derry. It is essential to have a permanent foothold in the North West from which to reach out into the community we serve.
“It allows us to forge closer links with the local community, their representatives, local voluntary and criminal justice partners. Increasing accessibility and accountability to the community gives us the opportunity to explain what we do and to learn of their concerns.
“It is therefore fitting that I am today able to announce PPS’s new policy of explaining to victims and their families why a prosecution is not being brought. From October 2009 we will provide detailed reasons across a range of offences such as homicide, sexual offences, hate crime and offences involving vulnerable members of society, without a request having to be made.”
Outlining the work of the Foyle office, Regional Prosecutor, Paula Jack said: The Northern region is served by two offices, one in Ballymena and now from our new premises in Derry. I am supported by a team of 109 highly professional and motivated staff, 49 of whom are based at Foyle Chambers. The Foyle team will take all prosecution decisions in approximately 6,000 cases per year covering the Londonderry, Limavady and Magherafelt area.
“We work closely with our criminal justice partners and our voluntary sector colleagues to identify what we need to do to improve the quality and coordination of the services we provide. We have been working hard to raise awareness of our work within the community by forging strong links with our partner agencies – both statutory and voluntary.
“Through Foyle Chambers we will be able to increase our communication, understanding and accountability to the local community.”
Notes to Editors
PPS took possession of Foyle Chambers on 13 March and was fully operational from 16th March. The Office in Ballymena opened December 2006.
PPS’s Northern Region covers the Antrim and Londonderry County Court Divisions and the Magistrates’ Courts sitting at Antrim, Larne, Coleraine, Ballymena, Magherafelt, Londonderry and Limavady. The region has been fully operational since early 2007.
Northern Region is serviced by 109 staff, 32 of which are lawyers who take all prosecution decisions in approximately 15,000 cases per year.
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