Crown dependencies

The Ministry of Justice is the department with primary responsibility for the Crown dependencies i.e. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. These are self-governing possessions of the British monarch, through her titles as Duke of Normandy in the Channel Islands and Lord of Mann in the Isle of Man.

This means that it acts as the main line of communication between Whitehall and the governments of the islands (similar to the role of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in relation to the British Overseas Territories), and agrees to submit for royal assent legislation passed by the insular legislative assemblies. It also ensures that relevant UK legislation is extended to the islands smoothly, and makes Crown appointments within the islands.

Priorities

The Ministry has outlined its aims for the 2011-2015 Parliament in its structural reform plan, which commits the department to:

1. Introduce a "rehabilitation revolution"

· Create a system introducing greater involvement of the private and voluntary sectors in the rehabilitation of offenders, including use of payment by results, to cut reoffending

2. Reform sentencing and penalties

· Ensure that the justice system reduces reoffending by introducing more effective sentencing policies and considering the use of restorative justice for adult and youth crimes

3. Reform courts, tribunals and legal aid, and work with others to reform delivery of criminal justice

· Reform the legal aid system to make it work more efficiently, while ensuring that we provide necessary support for those who need it most and for those cases that require it.

· Develop court reforms to improve the resolution of disputes, maximise efficiency and improve services and work with others to make delivery of criminal justice more effective and efficient

4. Assure "better law"

· Assure that law-making is transparent and accountable, safeguarding civil liberties and enabling citizens to receive the proper protection of the law

5. Reform how the ministry delivers its services

· Reform the way the Ministry of Justice works. Reassess its ways of working to develop more efficient shared services, match its provision "ever more closely" to demand, reduce duplication and streamline its functions wherever possible.

The departmental board has overall responsibility for delivery of the structural reform plan. It is chaired by the Secretary of State and its membership includes the ministerial team, the Permanent Secretary, the Director General of Finance, the Director General of "Transforming Justice" and departmental non-executive board members. It publishes progress against the plan on the 10 Downing Street website.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16