One response to Stormont’s sexual offences law fiasco would be to say it needs a House of Lords – a second chamber of experienced legislators who could pass bills back to the assembly several times with proposed changes.

Such a chamber should have spotted that a section of the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Bill breached human rights protections by disproportionately restricting press freedom. Instead, media organisations – including The Irish News – had to challenge the law at Belfast’s High Court, where a judge struck it down last week.

A second chamber is not an entirely ridiculous idea. The old Stormont had a 26-member Senate, its chamber is still there and refilling it with retired MLAs on a part-time basis would be far from the costliest political ornament in Northern Ireland.

But in all seriousness, no further mechanism should be required.

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In the assembly on Monday, DUP MLA Joanne Bunting said “this institution was rushed and sacrificed quality for quantity” when the sexual offences bill was passed.

Alliance Justice Minister Naomi Long disagreed, saying “no processes were........

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