Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“I greatly welcome today’s High Court judgement in the judicial review by NI Retired Police Officers’ Association against the Police Ombudsman.
“For too long the Ombudsman has exceeded the remit of the office to make expansive findings of ‘collusion’ etc which are presented as misconduct, or worse.
“However, in this judgement today we have had an overdue clipping of the Ombudsman’s wings. The language of the judgement is emphatic and clear, “the Ombudsman’s role is investigative and not adjudicative. It is not for the Ombudsman to made determinations (whether express or implied) as to whether criminal conduct or even misconduct has in fact occurred; no more than it is for the police to determine and publicly state that a suspect is guilty of a crime. That is a matter to be determined by others in different processes specifically established for that purpose.”
“Too often the Ombudsman has played to the anti-police gallery by throwing around findings of “collusion” etc – all of which oversteps the investigative role of the office by bolting on adjudicative and prejudicial findings.
“I trust the Ombudsman will take heed of this judgement and not again have to be called into line for overstepping the prescribed functions of the office”.