Scores of justice and security arrangements- including sensitive areas such as family law – could be undermined by a failure to secure a post Brexit agreement, Foyle Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson has said.

Addressing the Stormont justice committee today, Martina Anderson commented: 

“Because of Brexit, Britain will lose more than 750 international agreements, 42 of which relate to policing and justice including cross border cooperation, data-sharing arrangements, cybercrime and human trafficking. 

“Any failure to agree new arrangements will also have an impact on civil justice matters, including sensitive areas such as family law.

“All of this has the potential to have an extremely damaging impact on the courts and justice system here in the North. It is appalling that this has been forced on us against our will by a Brexit agenda that is opposed by the majority of citizens here. 

“Nevertheless there is an onus on the Department of Justice to provide clarity about how legal services will continue to function and what impact a failure by the British Government to agree a new deal will have on the justice system here in the north. 

“I also call on the Justice Minister and department to outline what kind of assessment has been undertaken and what mitigation measures are in place to deal with the potential fall out of the Brexit mess.”