OPONI

‘Collusion’ was RUC strategy, not RUC failing: #Loughinisland

John Ó Néill on June 9, 2016, 12:46 pm | Readers 3643

State collusion was a ‘significant feature’ in a loyalist gun attack in Loughinisland in June 1994, according to the latest report published today by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. You can read some commentary over at The Detail here, while the publication of the full report is awaited (it is now published here). The timeline of the Loughinisland investigation should be crushingly familiar at this stage. First there was a non-existent RUC investigation, then a flawed report by the Police …

#Baggott: PSNI should no longer be accountable

John Ó Néill on June 27, 2014, 12:10 pm | Readers 265

Matt Baggott is pretty much leaving the PSNI in the same way as he joined in 2009. At that time, he was being pressed by the Coroner John Leckey to release files on shoot-to-kill cases from 1982 so that inquests could be held. His predecessor, Hugh Orde had been ignoring a similar request since 2007. At the time, the PSNI released a statement saying: The PSNI wishes to re-emphasise its willingness to co-operate fully with the coroner and continues to …

“the #HET did not act legally in examining state killings”

John Ó Néill on July 3, 2013, 3:25 pm | Readers 84

Inconsistencies and shortcomings in policies, systems and practices threaten the legitimacy of the Historical Enquiries Team’s work, and risk undermining the confidence of the families of those who died during ‘the troubles’ in its effectiveness and impartiality. So says the Inspector of Constabulary about the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) in a report issued today. Originally requested by the Chief Constable, the report looked at the work of the HET in cases with state involvement to see if it meets the requirements …

European law states investigations into state killings must be fully independent

John Ó Néill on December 2, 2011, 11:56 pm | Readers 19

Last week, as flagged by Pete, it was being reported that: The Historical Enquiries Team cannot investigate them because European law states investigations into state killings must be fully independent. As the HET is accountable to the chief constable, it cannot investigate killings by police officers. A whole week later, it appears that the Historical Enquiries Team do actually report on cases where police officers were involved in killings (see Turgon’s thread on Loughgall, where the RUC’s HMSU took part as …

OPONI wants more history, less inquiry…

John Ó Néill on November 24, 2011, 10:00 pm | Readers 12

Over at The Detail, Barry McCafferty is reporting that the Police Ombudsman’s office is now saying that it can no longer investigate the killings of anyone shot dead by a police officer during the Troubles. “A test case in the Supreme Court (House of Lords) earlier this year has confirmed to us that we cannot investigate deaths from the Troubles which have previously been investigated unless there is new evidence.” The Ombudsman spokesman said it would now ask government to introduce …

Serious issues of independence and effectiveness in the Police Ombudsman’s Office

John Ó Néill on August 17, 2011, 9:22 am | Readers 56

Sinn Féin’s policing spokesman Gerry Kelly has added his voice to calls for the removal of Al Hutchinson as Police Ombudsman and restoration of independence and effectiveness in the office. Barry McCaffrey, over at The Detail, has seen the draft version of a Criminal Justice Inspectors report on the Office of the Police Ombudsman (OPONI) and it appears to make for damning reading. This follows swiftly on from the the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) publishing a report on Human Rights …