Inter-Ministerial Group for Justice (IMGJ) meeting summary: 12 September 2023
Updated 20 February 2024
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The Inter-Ministerial Group for Justice (IMGJ) met for the first time on Tuesday 12 September 2023 by videoconference.
The meeting was hosted by the UK Government and chaired by Lord Bellamy KC.
The ministers who attended were:
- From the UK Government: Lord Bellamy KC, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, and the Rt Hon David TC Davies MP, Secretary of State for Wales
- From the Scottish Government: Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
- From the Welsh Government: Mick Antoniw AS, Counsel General for Wales.
In the absence of Northern Ireland ministers Richard Pengelly, the Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, attended on behalf of the Northern Ireland Civil Service as an observer.
The meeting opened with agreement of the Terms of Reference by the Ministers attending.
The IMGJ then discussed prison capacity and steps being taken both to improve capacity and reduce demand. IMGJ agreed that the adult male population poses a particular challenge, noted some initiatives that have helped reduce population and noted the importance of having the necessary data to manage the operational and policy challenges effectively. It was agreed that prison capacity should be on the agenda for future IMGJ meetings.
The next item discussed was court recovery following Covid. Points made included the better use of technology and its role in reducing backlogs. It was agreed that court recovery should be on the agenda for future meetings and that a focus on family law would be helpful.
The IMGJ then received an update from the Chair about the Ministry of Justice’s review of civil legal aid. Attendees provided their reflections on the challenges associated with running a legal aid system.
The Chair gave an update on the Victims and Prisoners Bill. It was noted that the Legislative Consent Motion process was being triggered for parts of the Bill.
The group agreed that there was no need for a substantive discussion on Retained EU Law, given the UK Government’s policy change earlier in the year in relation to the original sunset arrangements.
The Chair brought the meeting to a close. Attendees reiterated their support for the IMGJ and commented that it had been a useful discussion
The next meeting of the IMGJ will be in 4 months’ time.