Please find below commentary from the Board on a range of issues discussed and agreed by the Board at its meeting yesterday. All should be attributed to a Board spokesperson:
AMNESTY /CAJ REQUEST FOR POLICING BOARD TO use SECTION 59/60 powers to investigate Police SURVEILLANCE OF JOURNALISTS
“Following discussions at the Policing Board meeting (7 March), the Chief Constable has provided a commitment to deliver the Report and information requested by the Board in respect of the surveillance of journalists within the next 4 weeks.
Given the Chief Constable’s commitment, the Board is agreed there is not a requirement at this time to initiate the section 59/60 powers.”
PUBLICATION OF INTERIM KENOVA INVESTIGATION REPORT
“The publication of the interim report on the Kenova Investigation is significant and the Board is agreed that the findings and recommendations of the report will require discussion to understand its implications.
Board Members have agreed to convene a special meeting in the coming weeks with the Chief Constable, the T/Deputy Chief Constable and Sir Ian Livingstone, the Officer in Overall Command at Operation Kenova, to discuss the report and its findings.
Members also wish to discuss upcoming issues regarding handling of legacy cases in advance of new legislation coming into effect.”
BOARD SUPPORTS CHIEF ON PSNI Resourcing CALLS
“At the Board meeting, the Chief Constable articulated in some detail how current funding arrangements for the service are not sufficient, and the impacts of that for service delivery and operational resilience.
The Policing Board shares the Chief Constable concerns and will be writing to the Department of Justice in support of his lobby for proper funding to be allocated to the PSNI so that action can be taken to redress resourcing pressures and officer numbers.”
DEPUTY CHIEF CONSTABLE.
The Board also agreed the following clarification statement should be issued in respect of action taken by the Board in respect of the Deputy Chief Constable:
“Following a Judicial Review decision in the case JR168, a complaint against DCC Hamilton was lodged with the Northern Ireland Policing Board, and referred to the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland as required by Section 52(1)(b) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.
The Police Ombudsman determined that the complaint was not in remit and it was passed to the Policing Board’s Discipline Committee which has delegated authority to act as Appropriate Authority for senior officers. The complaint was carefully assessed by the Discipline Committee of the Board on 19 December 2023.
Following due process, and informed by independent, expert advice, the Discipline Committee decided no disciplinary action against DCC Hamilton was warranted. This decision was reported to the Board.
The Policing Board is satisfied it has fully discharged its statutory duty under the Police (Conduct) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 in its consideration of the complaint.”
Ends