LSNI Policy Forum

The Law Society of Northern Ireland is hosting a policy forum to examine the use of character references in criminal proceedings. Character references can play a significant role at sentencing, yet questions remain about how they are sought, presented, and weighed, and about their impact on victims, defendants and public confidence in the justice system. The forum will bring together legal practitioners, academics, victims’ representatives and other stakeholders to share evidence, experience and perspectives on current practice. It is an open, evidence-gathering exercise and the views shared on the day will help inform the Society’s thinking and any future contribution to policy development in this area.