Northern Ireland Policing Board facts for kids
 |
|
| Formation | 4 November 2001 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Waterside Tower 31 Clarendon Road Belfast BT1 3BG |
The Northern Ireland Policing Board (which is Bord Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann in Irish and Norlin Airlan Polisin Boord in Ulster-Scots) is like a watchdog for the police in Northern Ireland. Its main job is to make sure the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) does its work properly and fairly.
This Board is a special public group. It includes members from the Northern Ireland Assembly (who are politicians) and also regular citizens. These citizens are chosen by the Minister of Justice based on how fair and independent they are.
Contents
History of the Policing Board
The Northern Ireland Policing Board was created on November 4, 2001. It was set up under a law called the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000. Before this, there was a similar group called the Police Authority for Northern Ireland, which looked after the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the police force before the PSNI).
When the Northern Ireland Assembly stopped working for a while in October 2002, the Board's members were re-appointed. This allowed them to keep doing their important work. The Board was set up again on April 1, 2006, then on May 22, 2007, and again on May 24, 2011.
Sinn Féin Joins the Board
A big moment happened in 2007 when Sinn Féin decided to join the Policing Board. This was important because, in the past, Sinn Féin had not supported the police in Northern Ireland. Their decision to join showed they now supported "civic policing" by the PSNI.
Reviewing the Omagh Bombing Investigation
In February 2008, the Policing Board decided to have a group of experts look again at how the police investigated the Omagh bombing. This review was to see if there was enough evidence for more people to be charged. It also looked into whether two police witnesses might have lied during a trial.
Some families affected by the bombing felt that a bigger, public investigation was needed. Sinn Féin Board member Alex Maskey said his party supported the families' call for a wider investigation. He also explained that the Board had a duty to check how the PSNI handled investigations to ensure justice.
Targeted Attack on the Board Building
On November 22, 2009, a car bomb was driven to the Policing Board building in Belfast. The bomb partly exploded, but luckily, no one was hurt. This incident was part of a series of attacks by some groups who did not support the peace process at that time.
Who is on the Board?
The people chosen to be "independent" members of the Board are picked because they are good at the job. Their political activities are made public to ensure everyone knows they are being fair.
The Board also has members from different political parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Current Members
Here are some of the people who are currently on the Northern Ireland Policing Board:
Democratic Unionist Party
- Joanne Bunting MLA
- Maurice Bradley MLA
- Trevor Clarke MLA
Sinn Féin
- Gerry Kelly MLA
- Linda Dillon MLA
- Liz Kimmins MLA
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
- John Blair MLA
- Nuala McAllister MLA
Ulster Unionist Party
- Mike Nesbitt MLA
Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Mark H. Durkan MLA
Independent Members These members are not part of a political party on the Board:
- Deirdre Toner (Chair)
- Edgar Jardine CB (Vice Chair)
- Les Allamby
- Dr Janet Gray MBE
- Dr Kate Laverty
- Frank McManus
- Brendan Mullan
- Peter Osborne
- Mukesh Sharma
See also
