Naomi Long ‘won’t appeal’ sex offenders law court ruling

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long will not appeal a court ruling that struck down a law on identifying suspected sex offenders, BBC News NI understands.

In May, a judge ruled the legislation was not compatible with human rights or press freedom.

Mrs Long said she was considering whether to appeal the ruling, but other Stormont parties had indicated they were not in favour of it.

The law, called the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, came into effect in 2023.

It granted anonymity for life – and for 25 years after death – to suspects who were not charged with any sexual offences.

Media organisations had joined forces in a bid to have sections of it declared legally invalid.

At the time, the justice minister rejected claims the law had been rushed through or that she had misled the assembly over it.

On Tuesday, Mrs Long said the ruling has “potentially far-reaching ramifications”, which would have impact across every Stormont department and the legislative process.

She said any decision to appeal would be hers alone, but she wanted to hear the view of other ministers by 17:00 BST on Tuesday.

Sinn Féin, the DUP and Ulster Unionist ministers are believed to have expressed concerns about any appeal.

It is understood Mrs Long will confirm the decision later on Wednesday.