NI: PPS internal review of Bobby Storey decision still ongoing
Reading time: 2 minutes
Stephen Herron
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said it is continuing to carry out an internal review of its decision not to prosecute politicians who attended the controversial funeral of republican Bobby Storey.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) yesterday published a report concluding that prosecutors made the right decision because there was no realistic prospect of politicians at the funeral being convicted.
It said the PSNI had prioritised public security over enforcement of Covid-19 regulations at the funeral last June, without biasing one community over another, because of the likelihood of tensions and the confusing nature of the Covid-19 regulations.
In a statement, Stephen Herron, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: “I appreciated the opportunity to engage with HMICFRS inspectors as part of their thorough examination of all relevant matters.
“We particularly welcome the conclusions reached on the transparent approach taken by the PPS to our decision-making in this case and the useful context given to the challenges of enforcing alleged breaches of the criminal law surrounding a sensitive event when faced with complex and rapidly evolving regulations.”
However, he added: “As the internal PPS review process remains on-going – a process which is independent of the original decision-making process and also of the HMICFRS findings – it would be not be appropriate to comment any further at this stage.”
Share this article:
Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss articles like this one:
SUBSCRIBE
