Jackie Coulter's daughter hits out at ombudsman as report on UVF feud murder delayed again
The daughter of a loyalist murdered by the UVF says she has lost all faith in the Police Ombudsman after the publication of a report into her father's death was again delayed.
The oversight body had promised to have Operation Abraham - an investigation into five killings carried out by the Shankill UVF between 1999 and 2010 - ready by the end of March.
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Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Justice Minister slams ‘absolute nonsense' over claims she can quickly change Ombudsman removal laws
Naomi Long said there has been 'a lot of misinformation' surrounding the issue which would require extensive public consultations to achieve. It comes after Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, announced she was taking a temporary leave of absence on Tuesday. Her leave follows the news that police investigating an alleged domestic incident at the Ombudsman's home have sent a file of evidence to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). Ms Anderson said that, despite planning to retire in December, she opted for temporary leave due to the 'current commentary' that was 'detracting from the focus' of her work with bereaved families. The probe, launched after the alleged incident at Ms Anderson's Co Down home in September 2023, was carried out by West Midlands Police at the request of the Chief Constable, and has now concluded. Think tank calls for new approach to save public services The PPS confirmed that the file reports 'one individual for potential offences of perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office'. Mrs Long believes there has been 'too much speculation' regarding the alleged incident, as well as 'a lot of misinformation' in the capabilities of the Department of Justice's powers. She told the BBC's Nolan Show: 'I think that brings a legal risk. I also think that brings all sorts of damage to the individual.' Asked about the department's powers generally in relation to the Police Ombudsman, she said: 'There has been a lot of misinformation around this. First and foremost, for me, public confidence in the role of the office of the Police Ombudsman is crucial because it impacts on the confidence in policing. I want to acknowledge [her] decision to delegate her powers to the chief executive and senior staff. 'To be clear, the Ombudsman herself is not appointed by the Department of Justice or employed by the Department of Justice. She is a corporation sole, which means that the powers of the Ombudsman are vested in the individual, not in the office. 'It's not her office that has the powers, the office is there to facilitate her powers.' Mrs Long explained that the nature of accountability in the Ombudsman role was set up to ensure control was not 'abused' for political means. She added: 'It's something I am very conscious of and have been conscious of for some time. It would require a period of significant public consultation to ensure that any power to suspend or remove the Ombudsman could not be abused for political ends. 'That is the reason why when this office was set up originally there was no power of suspension or removal from office. The fear was that if politicians had the power to suspend the Ombudsman, they would use that power if they disagreed with their findings or their interventions.' The Justice Minister admitted there is 'a conversation to be had' surrounding the high thresholds, but slammed the notion that any action from her office could be taken swiftly. 'There are very clear rules set down in law about when the Ombudsman should be removed from office, in terms of when someone should retire, and those thresholds are high – there's no question about that.' 'There is a conversation to be had around this, but the idea that a piece of legislation, that either I or the Executive Office could bring at the drop of a hat without thorough consultation and legal advice is absolute nonsense. 'Some commentators have been suggesting we should just change the law, it is not that simple.'
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Jackie Coulter's daughter hits out at ombudsman as report on UVF feud murder delayed again
The daughter of a loyalist murdered by the UVF says she has lost all faith in the Police Ombudsman after the publication of a report into her father's death was again delayed. The oversight body had promised to have Operation Abraham - an investigation into five killings carried out by the Shankill UVF between 1999 and 2010 - ready by the end of March.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman takes temporary leave
Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman has announced she is taking a temporary leave of absence. Marie Anderson said she has delegated authority in her office's chief executive and senior staff to ensure the work examining complaints around the conduct of police in the region can continue in her absence. It comes following the conclusion of an independent investigation into events relating to an incident at a property linked to Ms Anderson in Holywood, Co Down in 2023. Police Service of Northern Ireland officers went to the property at about 6.30pm on Saturday September 23 2023, after a report of a domestic incident. A man was arrested as part of the inquiry and later released pending a report to prosecutors. A file was subsequently sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and a caution issued to the man who had been arrested. West Midlands Police were then tasked with investigating further aspects of the incident. They concluded their investigation earlier this month, and a file of evidence was sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). On Tuesday, Ms Anderson said she has taken the decision to take a leave of absence due to 'current commentary'. 'Although I had decided to retire in December this year, which would have allowed me to fulfil my commitments to delivering the outcomes of investigations to a number of bereaved families, it has become increasingly clear that current commentary is detracting from the focus of that work,' she said. 'I am extremely grateful to those families who put their trust in me, and it is their interests which are at the heart of my decision today to take a temporary leave of absence with immediate effect.' She went on: 'In my absence, I am delegating authority to my chief executive and senior staff as appropriate. 'This will ensure the vital work of the office continues, as there is no legal provision for the office to function without a Police Ombudsman. 'I have every confidence in all my staff and know they will work diligently and am grateful for their support in recent times.'
