Debate contribution: Justice Bill: Consideration Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Colin McGrath on 9 June 2026.

MLA

Mr Colin McGrath

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

9 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Justice Bill: Consideration Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5601643

Read the official Assembly record

Text

This group of amendments is about ensuring that policing and police oversight arrangements here remain effective, accountable and fit for purpose. That is important, because public confidence in policing is one of the foundations on which our justice system must rest. That confidence is built not only on the ability of the Police Service to prevent and detect crime but on the existence of the robust systems of accountability, transparency and professional standards that there must be. Therefore, it is right that the Assembly periodically reviews the legislative framework within which policing exists to ensure that it remains capable of meeting modern expectations. I will first look at the amendments relating to police discipline and standards. The overwhelming majority of police officers serve with professionalism, integrity and dedication. It is important that we recognise that at the outset. They undertake difficult and often dangerous work on behalf of the public, and they deserve our support. Like other Members, I recognise that that is one of the most important lines that we can suggest from this place today. However, public confidence depends on the knowledge that, where serious misconduct occurs, we have the appropriate mechanisms in place to investigate it, to address it and to prevent those who are responsible from simply moving to other parts of the policing system. The amendments relate to police discipline together with the establishment of barred and advisory lists, and they seek to address precisely that issue. In many respects, the provisions bring us into line with arrangements that already operate elsewhere across these islands. They help to ensure that officers who are dismissed for serious misconduct cannot simply re-enter policing or related roles without appropriate scrutiny. With my background in youth work, I can see the connection to child protection guidelines from 25 or 30 years ago, when we had to have the appropriate lists and checks put in place in order to stop people moving from one organisation to another and continuing with behaviours that were not appropriate. The public are entitled to know that high standards are expected, maintained and enforced. That helps to drive confidence in policing. The same principle applies to the amendments that relate to information sharing and professional standards. Modern policing increasingly operates across organisational and jurisdictional boundaries, and effective cooperation requires confidence that the relevant information can be shared appropriately and that safeguards exist to protect the public and the integrity of the profession. It is about having the confidence that behind the scenes or "under the hood" in human resources departments there exists the ability to share all that information and ensure that people are not able to move around. The second significant theme in the group 4 amendments relates to the role of the Police Ombudsman. The Office of the Police Ombudsman occupies a unique position in our policing architecture. Independent oversight is a fundamental component of maintaining public confidence in policing and ensuring that complaints and allegations are investigated thoroughly, fairly and transparently. The relevant amendments seek to clarify the circumstances in which the Police Ombudsman may provide reports to the appropriate authority while investigations or related proceedings remain ongoing. As Members will appreciate, those issues require a careful balance to be struck. On the one hand, there is legitimate public interest in transparency, accountability and the timely reporting of issues that may require attention. On the other hand, there is a need to protect the integrity of investigations and any associated criminal proceedings. It is crucial that we get that balance right, so that we can ensure that there is confidence but also to make sure that we do not get any of the investigations wrong by jumping too soon. It is our understanding that the amendments have been developed following engagement between the Department of Justice, the Office of the Police Ombudsman and the PSNI, and that the Police Service and the ombudsman are supportive of the proposed changes. That is an important point. Too often, discussions about police accountability can be framed as a choice between supporting policing or supporting police oversight. In reality, both effective policing and effective oversight are essential components of confidence in policing. Where amendments are capable of strengthening the operation of the accountability framework and command support from the Police Service and the ombudsman, it should give Members confidence that they represent a practical attempt to improve how the system operates rather than a departure from its core principles. Ultimately, accountability mechanisms must be capable of carrying out their functions effectively. The relevant amendments seek to assist in achieving that objective, while maintaining appropriate safeguards and protections. More broadly, the amendments in this group reflect a recognition that our institutions must evolve. The structures that govern policing and policing accountability today cannot simply be the structures that existed 20 or 30 years ago. We all know that new challenges emerge, public expectation changes and lessons have to be learned from experience. Our responsibility as legislators is to ensure that the framework that supports policing evolves accordingly, alongside our experiences and with time. Taken together, these amendments strengthen professional standards, improve accountability in policing structures, enhance public confidence and ensure that our policing framework remains consistent with best practice elsewhere. For the SDLP, those are important objectives. We support a Police Service that is effective in keeping our communities safe. We support police officers who carry out their duties correctly. We also support independent oversight to ensure that there is robust accountability and the highest professional standards. Those principles are not in conflict with one another; they are mutually reinforcing. Group 4, at its core, is about maintaining public confidence and ensuring that the systems that underpin policing remain modern, effective and credible, so the SDLP will support the broad thrust of the amendments in the group.

970 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:48 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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