Stormont deadlock 'holding up justice bodies' - Sugden

Claire Sugden was justice minister from May 2016 until the assembly collapsed in March

The political deadlock at Stormont is hampering the work of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, according to former justice minister Claire Sugden.

She said it was also preventing the appointment of a new ombudsman to investigate complaints from prisoners.

The Policing Board, which holds the Police Service of Northern Ireland to account, has a legal responsibility to hold eight public meetings per year.

However, it has not held such a public meeting since last December.

'Half-hearted'

The board should include 10 party political members, but they have not been appointed.

Ms Sugden told BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics she is concerned that the Policing Board is "operating in a very half-hearted type way".

The board's independent members remain active, conducting seminars and other activities, but Ms Sugden said this is "not the full accountability which the Policing Board was set up to do".

She said she could not see why Sinn Féin representatives would not resume their role on the Policing Board, if the Northern Ireland Office moves towards some form of direct rule from Westminster.

But she added that the question was one for Sinn Féin.

Ms Sugden said she understands the Justice Department has recruited a successor to the Prisoner Ombudsman, Tom McGonigle, who retired at the end of last month.

Prison deaths

However, she says the appointment cannot be rubber-stamped without a justice minister in place.

Given that the prisoner ombudsman has to investigate matters such as deaths in custody, Ms Sugden says it is critical such a post is filled.

Prisoner Ombudsman Tom McGonigle retired at the end of August and has not been replaced

She expressed concern that the absence of a functioning Northern Ireland Assembly has prevented her advancing her proposal to change the law to deal with domestic violence and coercive control.

She said she would have hoped to have had a new offence on the statute books by now and said the politicians have let down victims of domestic violence.

The former minister previously commissioned a report on the sensitive issue of abortion, in cases of fatal foetal abnormally.

The BBC understands the expert report recommended a change in the law on the matter.

'Who blinks first?'

Ms Sugden told the programme she was not sure that, in the event of direct rule, Westminster would move forward on this issue "given the relationship between the UK government and the DUP and their feelings around that issue".

On the general political situation, she said she thought the DUP and Sinn Féin were involved in a contest about "who blinks first and I don't think either are willing to do that".

She said she hoped there would be a resolution in the end.

Ms Sugden said she would like to resume her role as justice minister, but added she would be "quite content" if the Executive got back up and running and did not involve her.