Policing

An Garda Síochána should take action to better safeguard the right of people in custody to consult a solicitor in private, the Garda Inspectorate has said. A new report published today sets out a number of recommendations following a comprehensive examination of the standard of treatme

Stop and search powers are being disproportionately used in Northern Ireland against people from ethnic minority communities and on children, new figures reveal. A total of 25,503 people were stopped and searched by PSNI officers in 2021, according to the latest statistics, with just six per cent of

Drew Harris will remain in post as Garda Commissioner until June 2025, the government has announced. Mr Harris was appointed to the top role in An Garda Síochána for a five-year term beginning in September 2018, following a long career in the PSNI.

Dr Vicky Conway calls on the government to take urgent action to secure the rights of criminal suspects. The shocking treatment of Joanne Hayes and her family by gardaí was back in the spotlight this week, with allegations of garda brutality, forced confession and fabricated statements laid b

The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has identified "collusive behaviours" in the RUC's handling of a number of paramilitary attacks by the UDA/UFF between 1989 and 1993. The attacks included 19 murders and multiple attempted murders, including the murder of Sinn Féin councillor Eddie Fu

The Policing Authority has published its review of 2021 which provides an overview of the breadth and depth of the work it has undertaken this year. The review highlights key areas of focus for the Authority’s oversight, as well as providing data relating to senior Garda appointments, public c

Proposals for reforms to Northern Ireland's policing oversight and accountability structures have gone out to consultation. The consultation document sets out recommendations arising from the justice minister's "stocktake" of policing oversight and accountability, as well as recommendations made by

Judge Rory MacCabe has been nominated by ministers for appointment as the next chairperson of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC). Currently a Circuit Court judge, he will also be elevated to the High Court "in light of the significance of the role", justice minister Helen M

Gardaí are influencing the selection of criminal defence solicitors for detainees in the absence of a consistent and transparent process, new research suggests. A new paper by legal academics Professor Yvonne Daly and Dr Vicky Conway, published in the Journal of Law and Society, explores the

Officers abusing their position for sexual purposes is now the single largest form of police corruption in England and Wales, a watchdog has said. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the number of people facing disciplinary proceedings for APSP has "risen sharply" in the past three

Proposals for improved garda oversight are essential to the garda reform process and must not be watered down, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) will tell legislators this week. Doireann Ansbro, head of legal and policy for ICCL, will address the Oireachtas justice committee on Wednesday

Wayne Couzens, the Metropolitan Police firearms officer who falsely arrested, kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, has been sentenced to a whole life order.

The High Court has dismissed an application to hold police responsible for dismantling a dangerous bonfire, finding that the threat of “widespread unrest” outweighed the effects of the anti-social and unlawful behaviour. The emergency application was brought by AB, who lives in the vicin

A judge with oversight of speeding ticket cancellations has said he is "uneasy" about gardaí claiming exemptions for speeding on their way to and from court hearings. Judge Matthew Deery, the independent oversight authority for the Garda fixed charge processing system (FCPS) cancellation poli

Serving and retired judges of the superior courts have been invited to express interest in appointment as the next chairperson of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC). Justice minister Heather Humphreys yesterday launched the process to find a replacement for Ms Justice Mary