Northern Ireland Policing Board
Encyclopedia
The Northern Ireland Policing Board is the police authority
for Northern Ireland
, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
(PSNI). It is a non-departmental public body
composed of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
, and independent members of the community (including some members of political parties
), who are appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
using the Nolan principles for public appointments.
The board was reconstituted for a third time on 22 May 2007 and for the first time in the history of Sinn Féin
, its MLAs
took up their seats on the Policing Board following the party's decision to support the PSNI at its ardfheis on 28 January 2007. Sinn Féin was associated in the past with the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(PIRA), which killed 271 Royal Ulster Constabulary
officers and 12 police officers outside Northern Ireland during the Troubles
.
. Some of the relatives of the bombing victims criticised the decision, saying that an international public inquiry covering both the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
should be established instead. The review will determine whether enough evidence exists for further prosecutions. It will also investigate the possible perjury
of two police witnesses made during Sean Hoey's trial. Sinn Féin
Policing Board member Alex Maskey
stated that "Sinn Féin fully supports the families' right to call for a full cross-border independent inquiry while the Policing Board has its clear and legal obligation to scrutinise the police handling of the investigations." He also stated that "We recognise that the board has a major responsibility in carrying out our duty in holding the PSNI to account in the interests of justice for the Omagh families".
.
Democratic Unionist Party
Sinn Féin
Ulster Unionist Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Independent
As of December 2010, Gearóid Ó hEára
was also a member of Sinn Féin
. Four Sinn Féin party members sat on the board at that time, equivalent to the total Democratic Unionist Party
membership.
Police authority
A police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
(PSNI). It is a non-departmental public body
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
composed of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, and independent members of the community (including some members of political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
), who are appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
using the Nolan principles for public appointments.
The board was reconstituted for a third time on 22 May 2007 and for the first time in the history of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, its MLAs
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
took up their seats on the Policing Board following the party's decision to support the PSNI at its ardfheis on 28 January 2007. Sinn Féin was associated in the past with the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(PIRA), which killed 271 Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
officers and 12 police officers outside Northern Ireland during the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
.
Omagh bomb investigation
On 7 February 2008, the Policing Board decided to appoint a panel of independent experts that will re-review the police investigation of the Omagh bombingOmagh bombing
The Omagh bombing was a car bomb attack carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army , a splinter group of former Provisional Irish Republican Army members opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, on Saturday 15 August 1998, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Twenty-nine people died as a...
. Some of the relatives of the bombing victims criticised the decision, saying that an international public inquiry covering both the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
should be established instead. The review will determine whether enough evidence exists for further prosecutions. It will also investigate the possible perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
of two police witnesses made during Sean Hoey's trial. Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
Policing Board member Alex Maskey
Alex Maskey
Alex Maskey is an Irish politician who was the first member of Sinn Féin to serve as Belfast's Lord Mayor. He is Sinn Féin's longest sitting councillor and is currently an MLA for South Belfast as well as being a councillor for the Laganbank area of Belfast.-Early life:Maskey was educated at St...
stated that "Sinn Féin fully supports the families' right to call for a full cross-border independent inquiry while the Policing Board has its clear and legal obligation to scrutinise the police handling of the investigations." He also stated that "We recognise that the board has a major responsibility in carrying out our duty in holding the PSNI to account in the interests of justice for the Omagh families".
Bomb attack
On 22 November 2009, a 400lb car bomb was driven to the Policing Board building in Belfast. It only partially exploded, and no one was hurt. Republican dissidents tried to ambush policemen on the same day. The incident was one of several cross-border attacks carried out by hardline republicans in 2009-2010; others included the 2010 Newry car bombing2010 Newry car bombing
The Newry Car Bombing occurred on the night of 22 February 2010. A car bomb exploded outside a courthouse in Newry, Northern Ireland. The car bomb damaged the courthouse and other buildings in the area. There were no fatalities or injuries.-The bombing:...
.
Members
The current board was constituted on 1 June 2011Democratic Unionist Party
- Jonathan CraigJonathan CraigJonathan Craig MLA is a unionist politician in Northern Ireland. He was elected in 2007 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party member for Lagan Valley and re-elected at the 2011 election....
MLA - Ian McCreaIan McCreaIan McCrea, MLA is a British politician. He was elected in 2007 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party member for Mid Ulster.Born in Magherafelt in 1976, he now lives in Cookstown with his wife and three children...
MLA - David McIlveenDavid McIlveenDavid McIlveen is a Democratic Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland who was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the North Antrim constituency in 2011. He is the son of Rev. David McIlveen, a well-known minister in the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster who has been a leading...
MLA - Adrian McQuillanAdrian McQuillanAdrian McQuillan, MLA is a DUP politician in Northern Ireland.A joiner by trade and postman for 18 years McQuillan was first elected to Coleraine Borough Council in 2001. He was subsequently elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a member for East Londonderry at the 2007 Assembly elections...
MLA (1 June-17 October 2011) - Robin NewtonRobin NewtonRobin Newton is a Unionist politician for the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. He is an MLA for East Belfast. Newton was sworn in as a Junior Minister within the Office of First and deputy First Minister on 1 July 2009...
MLA
Sinn Féin
- Gerry KellyGerry KellyGerard "Gerry" Kelly is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998...
MLA - Caitriona RuaneCaitríona RuaneCaitríona Ruane MLA is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down....
MLA - Pat SheehanPat SheehanPatricia Ann Sheehan, also known as Patricia Sheehan Crosby was an American actress and model...
MLA
Ulster Unionist Party
- Ross HusseyRoss HusseyRoss Hussey is a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Omagh, the younger brother of former Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly Derek Hussey, Ross joined the Ulster Unionist Party in 1997 and was elected to Omagh District Council in 2005. He later attempted to campaign using an image...
MLA
Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Conall McDevittConall McDevittConall McDevitt became National Secretary of Labour Youth in 1993 and Vice President of ECOSY in 1994...
MLA
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
- Trevor LunnTrevor LunnTrevor Lunn is an Alliance Party politician in Northern Ireland.He was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley in the 2007 assembly election. Mr. Lunn took over the Alliance candidacy for Lagan Valley from Seamus Close, the long time representative for the area...
MLA
Independent
- Anne Connolly
- Ryan Feeney
- Stuart MacDonnell
- Joan O'Hagan
- Gearóid Ó hEáraGearóid Ó hEáraGearóid Ó hEára is a Sinn Féin politician and a former Mayor of Derry,...
(Vice-Chairman) - Brian Rea MBE JP (Chairman)
- Brian Rowntree
- Michael Wardlow
- Deborah Watters
As of December 2010, Gearóid Ó hEára
Gearóid Ó hEára
Gearóid Ó hEára is a Sinn Féin politician and a former Mayor of Derry,...
was also a member of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
. Four Sinn Féin party members sat on the board at that time, equivalent to the total Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
membership.