Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward will make his first appearance before a Northern Ireland Assembly committee today on the issue of the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont.
Mr Woodward will face questions from the Assembly and Executive Review Committee which yesterday took evidence from Northern Ireland's top judge Lord Chief Justice Sir Brian Kerr and Policing Board chairman Sir Desmond Rea.
Committee chairman Jeffrey Donaldson of the DUP said the committee was keen to hear Mr Woodward's views on the Lord Chief Justice's defence of the judicial system.
Sir Brian told the committee that he would resist any political attempt to interfere with the judiciary and he wanted the Courts Service to be managed by an independent board which would report to a justice minister.
"The courts service which Sir Brian seemed to be advocating appears to be different from the model which the Northern Ireland Office is working on," Mr Donaldson said. "We will obviously be seeking the Secretary of State's views on the Lord Chief Justice's proposal."
The committee has been tasked with coming back with a report next February on the devolution of policing and justice powers which are currently in the hands of Northern Ireland Office ministers. The British government has set the Assembly a March deadline to indicate whether the transfer of those powers should take place next May.
However during a debate on Euro tolerance in the Assembly yesterday Ulster Unionist deputy leader Danny Kennedy said he did not believe the deadline would be met because of a lack of sufficient public confidence in Northern Ireland's politicians handling the powers.
PA