Justice Minister Naomi Long says she doesn’t believe it is appropriate to criminalise rough sleepers and beggars as her department launched a consultation on the issue.
According to current laws, those found rough sleeping and begging on the streets of Northern Ireland can be prosecuted through the courts.
The consultation is seeking views on whether repeal of this legislation will leave any significant gaps in the criminal law, taking into account the range of other offences available to deal with public disorder, disorderly behaviour and harassment in public places.
“I do not believe it is appropriate to criminalise people who are simply begging but who are not otherwise behaving in a way that would attract criminal sanction,” Mrs Long said.
“I am fully aware that begging and rough sleeping are often linked to underlying issues, such as poverty, alcohol and drug addiction, poor mental health, sexual and domestic abuse, and family breakdown.
“These are complex and cross-cutting issues which require a multi-agency response of support rather than criminalising people under arcane laws simply because of their personal circumstances.”
The consultation will run for a period of 9 weeks from 20 November 2024. Responses should be submitted by midnight on 21 January 2025.
