Police Reserve Cuts Face Court Challenge

The PSNI's plan to cut 500 full-time reserve police officers is to be challenged in the courts.

It has emerged today that the officers' representative body, the Police Federation has requested a judicial review of Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde's decision to phase out the Full-Time Reserve by March 2011.

Federation Chair Terry Spence said they were mounting the legal challenge on the grounds that the Chief Constable did not consult sufficiently with the federation before pushing ahead with the decision.

He also said Sir Hugh, who is leaving his post in September, should have left the decision to his successor.

"It is also a decision which flies in the face of an enduring severe terrorist threat and a volatile public order situation."

After conducting a review of the security situation, last month Sir Hugh Orde decided to press ahead with phasing out the remaining 500 officers.

They will leave the PSNI by March 2011, with reservists leaving front line duties by next summer.

The judicial review hearing is expected to be heard in September - at which stage Sir Hugh will have left the PSNI.

A PSNI spokesman said it would not be appropriate to comment on the legal challenge at the present time.

Earlier, defending his decision last month, Sir Hugh said the Patten reforms were "non-negotiable".

However, he also paid tribute to all those who had served in the Reserve, noting that a total of 102 reserve officers lost their lives during the Troubles.

"The people of Northern Ireland owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the men and women of the Full Time Reserve and indeed their part-time colleagues," he said.

At the height of the Troubles there were 3,500 full-time reserve officers.

The Part-Time Reserve has already been disbanded - and replaced with a new style of part time officer - in accordance with recommendations contained in the 1999 Patten Report.

See: Shock Call For Further PSNI Cuts

See: Decision Reserved On Police Reserve

(BMcC/JM)