Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I should have noted that the Government's long-standing policy has been to abolish the Court of Criminal Appeal. Legislation introduced in 1995 envisaged the subsumption of the Court of Criminal Appeal into the Supreme Court but it has not yet been commenced. I do not clearly understand why the Attorney General has taken the view outlined by the Minister. I will withdraw my amendment in order to reconsider it further but the expert group's recommendations are sensible. It is well known among practitioners that the Court of Criminal Appeal has developed its jurisdiction in a piecemeal fashion, although that is a bigger issue than the jurisdiction of that court. My amendment is in keeping with long-standing Government policy in this area.