Following the enactment of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (NI) 2015, the Society has organised practical briefings for members to ensure that legal professionals are aware of the changes to the legislation.
The legislation has made some significant changes to the legislative framework around human trafficking and slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour. Amongst other things it creates new offences and increases the maximum sentence for human trafficking and slavery-type offences to life imprisonment. The Act also makes provision in respect of
support and assistance for victims as well as introducing new protections for victims of these offences within the criminal justice system, such as access to special measures in court and a new statutory defence for slavery and trafficking victims who have been compelled to commit certain offences.
The sessions will be delivered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) - the lead government department with responsibility for the criminal law on human trafficking and slavery in Northern Ireland. The sessions will:
- discuss what human trafficking/modern slavery is;
- discuss the signs and indicators;
- raise awareness of the issues and highlight the role of legal professionals in identifying victims of trafficking;
- include information about what the other actors in the criminal justice system
– such as the police and the Public Prosecution Service
– are doing in respect of human trafficking and slavery;
- provide an overview of the legislation and the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).