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The Ministry of Justice has been a department of the government of the United Kingdom since 2007. It was created on 9 May 2007 by merging the Department for Constitutional Affairs (formerly known as the Lord Chancellor's Department) with parts of the Home Office responsible for criminal justice policy, sentencing policy, probation, prisons and prevention of re-offending in England and Wales. The department is located in 102 Petty France (previously called 50 Queen Anne's Gate) in Westminster, London.
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The ministry handles relations between the three devolved governments (the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government) and the UK government.
It administers some tribunals in the whole of the UK, and has various other functions, such as human rights and electoral reform, which also covers the whole of the UK.
The Ministry of Justice does not have responsibility for criminal justice, courts, prisons or probation in either Scotland or Northern Ireland, only in England and Wales.
In the jurisdiction of England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice is responsible for dealing with all suspected offenders from the time they are arrested, until convicted offenders are released from prison.[1]
The legal system in Scotland is independent from that of England and criminal justice, policing and prisons are the responsibility of the Justice and Communities Directorate.
Although law in Northern Ireland is a matter 'reserved' to the UK Parliament, it is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. The Northern Ireland Court Service is the Lord Chancellor's department in Northern Ireland[2]; the members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board are appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; and the Northern Ireland Prison Service is an executive agency of the Northern Ireland Office.
The Ministry of Justice has certain responsibilities in relation to the Crown dependencies:[3]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton, who was Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs until the ministry came into existence, became the first Secretary of State for Justice. He also retained the title and role of Lord Chancellor. Jack Straw took over this department on 28 June 2007.
Ministers of the Ministry of Justice as of 29 June 2007[5]:
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