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02/07/2024
UUP Calls On Justice Minister To 'Excuse Herself' From PB Review
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has called on the Justice Minister to excuse herself from setting the terms of reference for the Policing Board Review into the February 2021 Ormeau Road incident.
Making the call, UUP leader, Doug Beattie, MC MLA, said: "The review of the Policing Board, instigated following the fallout from the Ormeau Road incident during CoVID, that saw 2 police officers being unlawfully disciplined, is an important review. It must set out the facts and it must get to the bottom of how the policing board failed in its duties and how senior police management interactions with the board were well below the standard required.
"The Justice Minister has taken responsibility for setting the terms of reference for this review, but there are questions whether this would be a conflict of interest.
"A senior retired police officer has raised the issue with me, outlining that in the Chief Constables day book, were he made contemporaneous handwritten notes following the original incident, there is an entry that refers to representations from an 'MJ'.
"The entry said "MJ feared that may collapse the Executive and that would play into the febrile/dangerous context. Options other than suspension unlikely to assuage criticism."
"In written correspondence with the retired senior officer, the Minister for Justice has denied she made any such representations to the former Chief Constable.
"This may well be the case, however the former Chief Constable used initials such as DFM to refer to the deputy First Minister and despite extensive investigation and research no other possible 'MJ' has been identified. Mr Justice Scoffield also queried whether 'MJ' was the Justice Minister in his judgement on the unlawful suspension.
"Bearing this in mind and given that public perception of a transparent investigation and review is important, I would ask that the Justice Minister, without prejudice, excuses herself from setting the terms of reference for the policing board review, allowing this incident to be fully investigated in an impartial manner."
Making the call, UUP leader, Doug Beattie, MC MLA, said: "The review of the Policing Board, instigated following the fallout from the Ormeau Road incident during CoVID, that saw 2 police officers being unlawfully disciplined, is an important review. It must set out the facts and it must get to the bottom of how the policing board failed in its duties and how senior police management interactions with the board were well below the standard required.
"The Justice Minister has taken responsibility for setting the terms of reference for this review, but there are questions whether this would be a conflict of interest.
"A senior retired police officer has raised the issue with me, outlining that in the Chief Constables day book, were he made contemporaneous handwritten notes following the original incident, there is an entry that refers to representations from an 'MJ'.
"The entry said "MJ feared that may collapse the Executive and that would play into the febrile/dangerous context. Options other than suspension unlikely to assuage criticism."
"In written correspondence with the retired senior officer, the Minister for Justice has denied she made any such representations to the former Chief Constable.
"This may well be the case, however the former Chief Constable used initials such as DFM to refer to the deputy First Minister and despite extensive investigation and research no other possible 'MJ' has been identified. Mr Justice Scoffield also queried whether 'MJ' was the Justice Minister in his judgement on the unlawful suspension.
"Bearing this in mind and given that public perception of a transparent investigation and review is important, I would ask that the Justice Minister, without prejudice, excuses herself from setting the terms of reference for the policing board review, allowing this incident to be fully investigated in an impartial manner."
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