Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has welcomed the publication of the Criminal Justice Inspectorate’s report on PSNI disclosure of information to the Police Ombudsman and called for its recommendations to be implemented immediately. 

Gerry Kelly said:

“I welcome the publication of this report from the Criminal Justice Inspectorate into the PSNI’s disclosure of information to the office of the Police Ombudsman. 

“This report follows a similar inspection released in December 2016 into the PSNI’s management of disclosing information and material to the Coroners Service to support legacy inquests, where their disclosure practices were found to be ‘complex, convoluted and risk adverse.’

“This is the latest in a long line of such failures reflected in a number of similar critical judgements, including the Flynn and Hooded Men cases in 2017 and a. BBC investigation. 

“Such practices are indicative of a sustained and systemic position adopted by the PSNI to delay the release of relevant information to key criminal justice agencies. As such they seriously undermine attempts to develop levels of confidence in policing and are clearly unacceptable.

“The PSNI now need to work closely with all the criminal justice agencies as an imperative to developing confidence in their disclosure processes . 

“This can be best accomplished by ensuring the Police Ombudsman has unfettered access to information held by the PSNI.”