Youth clinics in Londonderryare curbing bad behaviour

Young people who were torturing residents in Londonderry were confronted by '˜victims' representatives' at special engagement clinics, persuaded of the errors of their ways, and saved from the justice system and potentially prison.

It’s the new face of community restorative justice and it’s working, Justice Minister David Ford told the Assembly this week.

Elsewhere, special domestic violence courts - based on a working model first implemented in Glasgow - and pioneered in Londonderry since 2011, were also being hailed by Mr Ford as a major success of his outgoing Ministry.