The following page contains a list of those people who were responsible for victims' issues from 1997 to 2008. Short biographies of most of the individuals listed below can be found in the section containing the CAIN Political Biographies.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

(From 8 May 2007 responsibility passed to OFMDFM)
2002 – 8 May 2007: Peter Hain
2002 – 2005: Paul Murphy
2001 – 2002: John Reid
1999 – 2001: Peter Mandelson
1997 – 1999: Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam

Northern Ireland Office (NIO)

Ministers with special responsibility for victims
(From 8 May 2007 responsibility passed to OFMDFM)
2005 – 7 May 2007: David Hanson
2004 – 2005: Angela Smith
2001 – 2004: Des Browne
1998 – 2001: Sir Adam Ingram

Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM)

First Minister
5 June 2008 – Peter Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party; DUP)
8 May 2007 – 5 June 2008: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party; DUP)
1999 – 2002: David Trimble (Ulster Unionist Party; UUP)

Deputy First Minister
8 May 2007 – Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin; SF)
2001 – 2002: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic and Labour Party; SDLP)
1999 – 2001: Séamus Mallon (SDLP)

Junior Ministers in the OFMDFM
12 June 2012 - Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin; SF)
16 May 2011 - Jonathan Bell (Democratic Unionist Party; DUP)
26 February 2008 – Jeffrey Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party; DUP)
8 May 2007 – 26 February 2008: Ian Paisley Jnr. (Democratic Unionist Party; DUP)
8 May 2007 – : Gerry Kelly (Sinn Féin; SF)
1999 – 2002: Denis Haughey (SDLP)
1999 – 2002: Dermot Nesbitt (UUP)

Victims Unit
The Victims Unit was established in 2000 as a dedicated unit with the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM), its role was to raise awareness of, and co-ordinate activity on, issues affecting victims of 'the Troubles' across the devolved administration and throughout Northern Ireland in general.
200? – present: John Clarke, Head of the Victims Unit

Commission For Victims & Survivors / Victims Commissioners

Victims Commissioners
28 January 2008 – 2 September 2012: Four commissioners appointed; Mike Nesbitt (resigned 17 February 2010), Bertha McDougall, Patricia MacBride, and Brendan McAllister
3 September 2012 - June 2014: Kathryn Stone
June 2014 - 31 August 2015: No agreed Victims Commissioner
1 September 2015 - present: Judith Thompson

Interim Victims Commissioner
2005 – 2007: Bertha McDougall

Victims Commissioner
1997 – 2001: Sir Kenneth Bloomfield

Victims and Survivors Service

The Victims and Survivors Service was established on 2 April 2012 as a one-stop-shop for advice, assistance and guidance to victims of 'the Troubles'. (See Web site: http://www.vssni.org/)