In a bid to improve confidence in Northern Ireland's justice system, a new judicial appointments commission is to be created.

The Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill will enact reforms agreed with the parties during the Hillsborough talks earlier this year.

The move indicates the government's desire to continue pushing ahead with the implementation of changes agreed under the Good Friday agreement framework.

Under reforms proposed in the Bill, the first minister and deputy first minister would jointly make recommendations to the prime minister on the appointment of the Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Justices of Appeal in Ulster.

The prime minister would retain the final say, although he would make the appointments "on the basis" of the recommendations.

Other changes contained in the legislation would see a new offence of seeking to influence the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) without legitimate cause.

And the DPP would also be compelled to refer to the police ombudsman any matters which indicate that a police officer may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a matter "which would justify disciplinary proceedings".

All criminal justice agencies in Ulster would also be required to pay "due regard" to international human rights standards when carrying out their functions.