Speakers
Parallel Workshops
This session explores the Northern Ireland Prison Service’s transformation from a reactive to a proactive approach in managing legal challenges and safeguarding prisoners’ human rights. Historically, judicial reviews relating to prisoner decision-making created significant operational, reputational, and financial pressures. Through stronger collaboration between Governors, Headquarters staff, and legal advisers, NIPS has embedded human rights considerations into policy development and operational decision-making, identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities at an early stage.
This forward-thinking approach has strengthened governance, improved decision-making, and reduced the number of cases progressing to court. The presentation highlights how legal compliance, organisational learning, and partnership working have supported sustained improvement.
I have been a solicitor for over 30 years and am now the inhouse senior legal adviser for NIPS. I have been working for over 7 years for the organisation and have led a change in how NIPS respond to public law challenges to their decision making in respect of prisoners, particularly where Human Rights are engaged.
I deliver pre litigation legal advice to all Governors and HQ staff when required, support for Governors and other staff when legal challenges are commenced, have both led and imputed into policy change for NIPS and provide continual legal awareness training NIPS for Governors in their role as decision makers as well as for other support staff in NIPS headquarters.
I also engage with other organisations such as Probation Service for Northern Ireland and recently completed a cross border multi organisational leadership course relating to Public Protection.