An impartial, transparent criminal justice system is one of the key planks of the Good Friday Agreement.
The introduction of an independent prosecution service, details of which were announced yesterday, is a key recommendation of the Criminal Justice Review.
Certainly, the main changes unveiled by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Alasdair Fraser, will be widely welcomed.
The fact that all decisions to prosecute will be taken by a public prosecutor rather than the police is a significant and positive change.
Cases previously taken by a police inspector in magistrates and youth courts, will be conducted by a public prosecutor, with prosecution offices spread out around Northern Ireland.
For the majority of people, perhaps the most radical step is the restorative justice scheme for young offenders. Victims of crime will be given the chance to confront those who have caused them misery and distress.
Not everyone will want to avail of this opportunity, but some of those who have suffered at the hands of young criminals may find this process beneficial.
These offenders must also realise that their actions have human consequences.
It is appropriate that those offenders aged under 17 are dealt with in a community-based way which will hopefully turn them away from a career in criminality.
But while all moves aimed at ensuring a fair, open, accessible and independent criminal justice system are to be welcomed, the appalling bomb attack in Larne early yesterday highlights a serious problem for those attempting to deliver justice.
A retired couple and their 38-year-old son were left shaken by a blast-bomb attack on their home at Upper Cairncastle Road.
The police blamed the UVF, saying it was an attempt to intimidate witnesses in a court case, even though those in the house are not involved in the legal proceedings.
Any attempt to derail the judicial process must be rejected by society as a whole.
As with the dissident republican threats against those involved in policing bodies, these loyalist paramilitaries are interested only in exercising a malign influence over the wishes of the majority.
That majority wants to see a fair and effective system of justice, which is the very antithesis of what is on offer from the depraved and corrupt paramilitary groups.
