Justice Minister has announced that Dr Brian
Payne has been appointed as a Board Member to the Probation Board
for Northern Ireland.
The current Board was appointed following an open competition
regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for
Northern Ireland and the term of office for the Board commenced
on the 1 March 2025 for a three-year period. The current
constitution of the Board consists of a Board Chair and 11 other
Board members. Dr Payne will become the 12th Board member,
and his appointment will tie in with the current constitution
period for the Board.
Announcing the appointment, said: “I would like to
welcome Brian to the to the Probation Board for Northern
Ireland. I have no doubt that his experience and expertise
will enable him to make an important contribution in supporting
PBNI in its crucial role in rehabilitation, reducing reoffending
and reintegration of individuals into the community along with
helping to make communities safer. I wish him well in the
role.”
Board Member – Dr Brian Payne
Dr Brian Payne is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal
Justice, and Subject Lead for Criminology at Ulster
University. His primary research interests lie in the areas of
restorative justice, policing, and transnational organised crime.
Brian has conducted extensive funded research with community
restorative justice projects, police and justice agencies and
associated stakeholders across the UK and Ireland. Brian holds a
PhD in Criminology and an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice
both from Queen's University Belfast. He is heavily
involved in policy work and sits on several working groups
including the Restorative Justice Council Research Advisory
Group, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Restorative Justice,
the Department of Justice NI's Restorative Justice Working Group
and the Probation Board NI Research Advisory Group.
Political Activity: none.
Notes to editors:
1. The Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) is an
executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) established by the
Probation Board (NI) Order 1982. The Board is tasked with
providing an adequate and efficient probation service and is
responsible for determining its policy within the broad
parameters set by Government and for monitoring the service's
performance against objectives.
2. The main activities of the Probation Board for Northern
Ireland are: the supply of information to the courts through
pre-sentence reports; the supervision of offenders made subject
to community disposals; and the provision of social welfare
services in prisons. The Board also funds community
initiatives aimed at supporting the statutory supervision of
offenders in the community.
3. Appointments to the Board are made by the Minister
of Justice in accordance with Schedule 1 of the 1982 Order.
Statutorily, the Board must consist of a Chair, Deputy Chair and
not less than 10 nor more than 18 other members. The
remuneration for the post of Chair is £33,010 per annum and for a
Board Member, it's £5,050 per annum.
4. This appointment had been made in accordance with
the Commissioner for Public Appointments Northern Ireland Code of
Practice. All appointments are made on merit and political
activity plays no part in the selection process, however, the
Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland
requires the political activity of appointees to be published.
5. Details of the Board of the Probation Board
membership is as follows:
-
Houston (Chair)
- Kerry Anthony MBE
- David Bowden
- Maureen Brunt
- Ken Cameron
- Denise Hunt
- Brian Ingram
- Jackie Johnston CBE
- Maynard Mawhinney
- Gemma McKeown
- Bria Mongan OBE
- Eileen Patterson
- Brian Payne
