Policing Board Human Rights report published

The Northern Ireland Policing Board has today published its second annual report on how the PSNI is meeting its responsibilities under the Human Rights Act 1998.

The report also reveals that nearly two thirds of the recommendations made in the Policing Board’s Human Rights Annual Report 2005 had been fully implemented.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Professor Sir Desmond Rea said that the Policing Board was unique among police authorities in the UK, as no other body had a clear statutory duty to monitor police performance in complying with the Human Rights Act.

Sir Desmond said: “It is essential for the whole community to have a police service that is effective, efficient, impartial and accountable. Through the Board’s critical oversight role the public can have confidence that the PSNI are accountable for the delivery of the policing service. The Board’s responsibility for monitoring the PSNI’s human rights compliance forms an important part of this work.”

He added that he was encouraged by the Report’s finding that ‘in its commitment to Human Rights compliance, the PSNI continues to set the standard that other police services elsewhere in the UK should aspire to’.

He continued: “In its Human Rights Annual Report 2005, the Policing Board made 60 recommendations regarding PSNI human rights compliance, which, when broken down into their constituent parts, created 99 separate recommendations requiring action by the PSNI. I am pleased to report that the Board’s human rights advisers have found that the PSNI has taken positive action towards implementation of 80% of those recommendations – 62% have been fully implemented, while 17% have been partially implemented. This is a considerable achievement.”

“On a less positive note, 21 of the 99 recommendations remain outstanding. In some areas, such as training and policy, the number of outstanding recommendations is significant. However, the Board accepts its human rights advisers’ view that this does not reflect an unwillingness to comply on the part of the PSNI. The failure to implement largely reflects difficulties in the scale and timetabling of the necessary tasks. However, the Board will be seeking evidence from the PSNI in the next three months of early progress towards implementation in these specific areas of concern and assurances on the timetable for full implementation.”

Speaking at the Report’s launch, the Board’s human rights advisers, Keir Starmer QC and Jane Gordon said: “In its commitment to human rights compliance, we believe that the Police Service continues to set the standard that other police services elsewhere in the UK should aspire to. We commend the PSNI for its openness and willingness to engage in the Board’s human rights monitoring process.”

“In some areas, such as complaints and discipline, operations, public order and covert policing, there has been 100% compliance with the recommendations made in our 2005 Annual Report. This is a significant achievement.”

“Of the 21 outstanding recommendations we are satisfied that this does not represent the Police Service’s unwillingness to comply, as the majority are in the process of being implemented.”

They added that this year 45 recommendations have been made, which is fewer than last year, which in some respects reflects their satisfaction with progress to date.

(EF)