Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced a major programme of reform to improve access to justice and better support those using publicly funded legal services. The ‘Enabling Access to Justice’ reform programme will refocus services putting the citizen at the heart of the justice system in Northern Ireland. “I want to increase eligibility for legal aid, opening up the service to a wider proportion of society; I want to trial alternative dispute resolution models to take some cases away from the courts and enhance front-line service provision; and I want a root and branch review of fee structure for public legal services to ensure the system is operating as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.