Psni C3

[Adabella Frierdich]

ThePolice Service of Northern Ireland was created in 2001 as a successor to the controversial Royal Ulster Constabulary. As policing and justice were not devolved to the new Northern Ireland assembly and executive until 2010, the new arrangements were implemented by UK ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.

The review noted that while overall policing was relatively highly rated in Northern Ireland, there was a big gap in perceptions between the communities, with more than 80% of Protestant/unionists saying they were satisfied with the police compared to under 50% for Catholic/nationalists.

Independent members are appointed by the Northern Ireland justice minister, but at various points when the devolved institutions have collapsed, the UK Northern Ireland secretary has had to take powers to appoint.

The clear intention in both the Patten review, and the original terms of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was for these justice and policing functions, that were initially exercised by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, to be devolved as soon as the situation allowed to the Northern Ireland executive and assembly.

One of the reasons for the lack of confidence of the Catholic/nationalist community in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was that it was overwhelmingly dominated by Protestants. In 1999 Patten noted that fewer than one in ten RUC officers were Catholic (8.3%). Many in the Catholic/Nationalist/Republican community regarded the RUC as at best sectarian, and at worst complicit in illegitimate actions against their community. Many in the Protestant/Unionist/Loyalist community object strenuously to that interpretation of the past.

Patten therefore established a rule to try to redress the imbalance. Qualified candidates would be placed in a pool and recruitment would then follow a 50:50 pattern until such time as around 30% of the force were Catholic. Those special measures were lifted in 2011.

Second, the chief constable was under pressure when then High Court found he had unlawfully disciplined two probationary officers over an arrest at a Troubles commemoration event. It was alleged he had been pressured into doing so by Sinn Fein politicians, although they denied this.

These led to the DUP sending a motion expressing no confidence in Byrne to the Policing Board, which then appointed his deputy, Mark Hamilton, to step up as acting chief constable. However he was also implicated in the unlawful disciplinary proceedings and his appointment led the Police Federation, representing serving police officers, to pass a motion of no confidence in him, 23 -federation-hamilton-psni-northern-ireland-belfast-b2407514.html along with fellow senior PSNI leaders.

Data breaches in any security organisation would be sensitive but that is particularly acute in Northern Ireland given the continued heightened state of alerts and the attempted murder earlier in the year of an off duty police officer John Caudwell. The disclosure of personal details potentially endangers people working for PSNI.

The PSNI has launched a recruitment exercise for a new chief constable which it hopes to conclude in November. The Policing Board is reported to have chosen a preferred candidate for the position of interim chief constable, 24 -northern-ireland-67006063 which will have to be confirmed by the secretary of state.

If the executive has not been restored, and there is still no justice minister, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland would have to use or extend his powers under the current selective direct rule legislation to approve an appointment by the Policing Board.

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