‘Significant implications’ of High Court judgment warrant appeal, says Police Ombudsman’s Office
The chief executive of the Police Ombudsman’s Office has stated an appeal of the recent High Court judgment is warranted, given the “significant implications” for the its work.
The High Court determined that the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland “exceeded her powers” by implying misconduct on the part of former RUC officers involved in investigating paramilitary murders during the Troubles.
The ruling by Justice Scoffield came after the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association challenged the Ombudsman’s legal right to make collusion findings over past police conduct. The judge emphasised that the Ombudsman’s role is to investigate rather than adjudicate.
The case related to several investigations, including murders in south Belfast between 1990 and 1998, and killings in the northwest region from 1989 to 1993.
Chief executive Hugh Hume said: “The judgment has significant implications for the work of the office and not only in relation to legacy cases. It also impacts non-Troubles related historical investigations and the thousands of complaints about police officer conduct which this Office investigates every year.
“As Accounting Officer, I have considered this potentially wide-ranging impact, and I am satisfied that the appeal, the cost of which will be met within existing budgets, is warranted.”
Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson previously confirmed that she will appeal the judgment by Justice Scoffield to seek clarity as to the scope of her powers and noted that nothing in the judgment undermined or cast doubt on the professionalism, dedication or bona fides of the work of the Ombudsman’s Office.
She believes the judgment by Justice Scoffield in relation to the Operation Achille and Greenwich reports is a departure from the Court of Appeal’s clear ruling in 2020 (Hawthorne and White).
See https://policeprofessional.com/news/police-ombudsman-will-appeal-high-court-collusion-ruling/