“Is it the role of the Police Federation to defend the actions of the RUC?”

The Chair of the Police Federation for NI said it asked its members to consider challenging a Police Ombudsman’s findings of RUC 'collusive behaviour' because it affected its members and ‘retired cadre’.

Last year, The Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association, supported by the Police Federation, was granted a judicial review of the ombudsman's legal right to make findings of collusive behaviour.

It wanted statements issued by Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson to be declared unlawful.

In 2022, Mrs Anderson found evidence of 'collusive behaviour' by the RUC in a report into the force’s handling of paramilitary attacks by the UDA/UFF including the Greysteel massacre.

The question was put to the Chair of the Police Federation for NI, Liam Kelly, by Cllr Christopher Jackson at DCSDC's Governance and Strategic Planning meeting last week.

The Sinn Féin councillor firstly acknowledged the issues PSNI faces due to budgetary pressures, which was the basis for Mr Kelly attending Council, then asked about the legal challenge.

He said Council had concerns the Police Federation's actions in the past have 'have went some way to damage confidence in policing' in the district.

“Our council has expressed our dismay at the representative body of serving PSNI officers to attempt to deny victims' families access to Truth and Justice and this is the first opportunity we've had to raise this directly with you,” he said.

“In relation to representing the views of your members, did you consult your members before using your resources to attempt to deny victims within this city and district access to truth and justice by opposing the Police Ombudsman's report?

“And a really simple question, is it the role of the Police Federation to defend the actions of the RUC? Because that goes to the core of the confidence issue in relation to the current, serving Police Officers who are working day and daily to provide a public service to people of this city and district.”

Mr Kelly said the body asked its membership to consider the report's legal process because it affected members and retired members.

“I have to say at first instance I'm surprised I'm being asked about things, which in my mind were nothing to do with the subject matter I've been asked to come [about] today,” he said.

“Irrespective of that, the Police Federation really does represent the views of our members. We're elected to represent the views of our members.

“In relation to the Police Ombusman's investigations, there's legal process, which we asked our membership to look at in relation to things that affect our members and affect our retired cadre so of course we would take the legal action to do that.

“That's not to try and hinder justice or potential outcomes for people. It's to make sure it's done fairly, proportionately and appropriately and we will continue to make those decisions, so we can agree to disagree on that one.

“Again, as a representative body, we do reflect the attitudes and the behaviours of our membership and we have a statutory responsibility to do that.”