THE Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland will write to the families of Troubles victims whose investigations will no longer take place under controversial new legislation which comes into effect this week.
'Transitional arrangements' are being implemented to enact Britain’s Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, which effectively removes the Ombudsman’s remit for undertaking historical investigations into Troubles crimes when it comes into force tomorrow (May 1).
Ms Anderson has highlighted that this “will allow for the completion of reports and related administrative tasks in cases where investigations have concluded” but acknowledged that the implementation of the new legislation would “not be positive” for everyone as 281 cases will now not be investigated.
A further 54 cases where investigations are already underway will now not be completed, Ms Anderson’s office confirmed in a statement made yesterday.
“These transitional arrangements go further than originally anticipated and mean that I will be able to communicate my findings in a greater number of cases than first envisaged,” Mrs Anderson said.
“Although this is positive news for some, I am acutely aware that as my remit for historical investigations closes, regrettably my ability to provide answers to other families and victims also ends,” she added.
“I have been open about the challenges which have faced legacy investigations, as have my predecessors, who have repeatedly spoken of significant periods of underfunding and limited resources to conduct and conclude these complex investigations, which date back decades,” Ms Anderson explained.
“I am writing personally to those families whose investigations will not now be progressed by my Office, expressing regret and I know they will be deeply disappointed and distressed’.”
Police Ombudsmen legacy reports have spanned more than two decades, from the first reports by former Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan to those during the tenure of Mrs Anderson, which have included RUC conduct relating to loyalist paramilitary murders in South Belfast and the North West.
“The investigations conducted by this office are intertwined with the history of the Northern Ireland Troubles and some of its worst atrocities,” Ms Anderson said.
“Undertaking investigations from this era means working in a contested environment, and navigating through that space has required adherence to impartiality, independence and evidence-based findings”.
On the future of the Police Ombudsman’s office, Mrs Anderson said: “We will be transitioning to an oversight body that focuses not only on the conduct of police officers in a contemporary setting, but also on demonstrating the impact of our work on policing policy and practice.”
The findings of 95 cases where investigations have already been completed will be reported by April 30, 2025, Ms Anderson’s office confirmed.
They added that 281 cases where investigations had not yet begun will not now proceed to investigation and 54 cases, where investigations had begun, will not now be completed.
Just 12 cases, which fall within Troubles timeframe but are not related to the conflict, will remain as part of the Police Ombudsman’s caseload.
