Prosecutors are undervalued, underpaid and overworked, says FDA responding to CJI NI report

The FDA has responded to a new report from the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI NI) into management and performance of the Public Prosecution Service (PPSNI).

FDA National Officer for Northern Ireland Robert Murtagh said the union welcomed the report, which made it clear that “reward and recognition are an outstanding issue with career progression for public prosecutors in NI lagging behind counterparts in the rest of the UK”.

Murtagh added that “Public Prosecutors in NI face significant challenges, including increasing processing times particularly in Crown Court cases, due to backlogs, longer decision times and court adjournments.
 
“The CJI NI has recognised the increasing complexity of cases being sent to the PPS, compounded by recent legislative changes and use of multi-media evidence that has, in part, led to longer decision times. It also highlights the reliance on external counsel and temporary agency staff with lower staff morale and high levels of sickness absence.”

The National Officer called for measures to be taken to address the issues identified in the report’s findings, saying, “We’ve long argued that our members are undervalued, underpaid and overworked, which is supported by the findings of this independent report.
 
“The FDA welcomes this report from the CJI NI and the Director of Public Prosecution’s commitment to longer-term strategic workforce planning.
 
“This work must be underpinned by a commitment to ensure public prosecutors in NI are rewarded and have progression pathways similar to colleagues in other prosecuting authorities in the UK as well as an increased recruitment of prosecutors to relieve workload pressures and reduce processing times.
 
“The Department of Finance and the wider Executive must recognise that investment in the PPS and our Public Prosecutors is vital to transforming the criminal justice system, reducing processing times and deliver for the needs of victims.”