Police Ombudsman plans to conclude 95 Troubles-related cases ‘in the next year’

Northern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman has said she plans to conclude 95 Troubles-related cases “in the next year”.

Marie Anderson was speaking as scores of legacy inquests are set to be halted and transferred to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) under the terms of the Government’s controversial Legacy Act.

The Police Ombudsman’s Office has delivered a number of reports into the past, including looking at the police investigation into the loyalist murder of five people in the Sean Graham bookmakers shop on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast in 1992.

In a statement, the ombudsman said that while the Act will end her office’s remit for undertaking historical investigations, it will allow for the completion of reports and related administrative tasks in cases where investigations have concluded.

Ms Anderson said the transitional arrangements “go further than originally anticipated”, adding she will be able to communicate her findings in a greater number of cases than first envisaged.

“Although this is positive news for some, I am acutely aware that as my remit for historical investigations closes, regrettably my ability to provide answers to other families and victims also ends,” she said.

“I have been open about the challenges which have faced legacy investigations, as have my predecessors, who have repeatedly spoken of significant periods of underfunding and limited resources to conduct and conclude these complex investigations, which date back decades.

“I am writing personally to those families whose investigations will not now be progressed by my office, expressing regret and I know they will be deeply disappointed and distressed.”

Ms Anderson added: “The investigations conducted by this office are intertwined with the history of the Northern Ireland Troubles and some of its worst atrocities.

“Undertaking investigations from this era means working in a contested environment, and navigating through that space has required adherence to impartiality, independence and evidence-based findings.”

Going forward, Ms Anderson said her office will be “transitioning to an oversight body that focuses not only on the conduct of police officers in a contemporary setting”.

She said it will also be “demonstrating the impact of our work on policing policy and practice”.

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