Sir John Gillen, a former senior judge, has been appointed to review the legal framework on trial of the facts cases in Northern Ireland, following the recent case of Eleanor Donaldson. The review, announced by Stormont’s justice and health ministers, will examine whether a conventional criminal trial should remain possible if an individual becomes fit to plead and whether safeguarding measures, such as sex offender notification requirements, should apply. An interim report is expected by February 2027, with a final report due in spring 2027.
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Sir John Gillen
Former senior judge in Northern Ireland