More than 80 per cent of crime victims in Northern Ireland are not confident they will receive justice, according to a 2025 Victim Survey Report analysed by researchers at Queen's University Belfast. The finding points to a need for wide-ranging reform of the legal framework.

Dr Katie McGaughey and Professor Cherie Armour of the School of Psychology recently hosted a gathering of roughly 120 policymakers, lawyers, and psychologists to examine systemic barriers victims face, with particular attention to the role of trauma in legal proceedings.

Addresses were delivered by the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Dame Siobhan Keegan, and the Victims' Commissioner Designate, Geraldine Hanna. Professor Armour chaired a specialist panel of solicitors and psychologists.

The panel discussed ensuring victims are treated seriously, identifying procedural failures, and assessing how misunderstandings about trauma and memory may influence sentencing. It also covered communication strategies and the delivery of trauma-informed care by frontline staff. Representatives of a solicitor safety group who are victims of crime described how their personal experiences altered their professional view of the legal system.

Dr McGaughey stated that the survey data shows a clear need for system improvement and stressed the importance of understanding the problems and the impact of trauma.

Professor Armour said the focus was on improving outcomes for victims and expressed hope for positive change through continued discussion.

Geraldine Hanna emphasised that close collaboration between academics, practitioners, and policymakers is vital to making evidence-based improvements. She noted that since taking up her role she has repeatedly heard from victims whose confidence had been shaken by their interactions with the justice system.