Latest news with #ClaireMcGuigan
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
NI legacy: Lawyers got most of £25m to settle cases, says PSNI
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) paid out £25m to settle civil cases related to the Troubles in recent years and most of it went to lawyers, the chief constable has told Boutcher said lawyers received almost £18m - more than double the amount obtained by victims who brought the was giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Boutcher described legacy as "a green field site for lawyers" due to "an attritional approach by all the security agencies around information disclosure". Mr Boutcher said the PSNI was not properly funded for legacy issues and the costs would pay for the recruitment of hundreds of extra PSNI's costs cover not just court cases, but also operating its Legacy Investigations Branch (LIB)."We are spending just over £20m a year. That would be about 400 police officers," he said."But we've been left with this millstone, this anchor, that holds the PSNI back."It is a considerable burden on us."The PSNI is currently dealing with 1,100 civil actions - in 2014 the figure was 150. 'Today's budget' for 'yesterday's cases' The head of its LIB, detective chief superintendent Claire McGuigan, said: "We don't have anywhere near the resources to deal with those, nor the money to settle them."We're in a position that is very, very difficult and it doesn't build trust in the community because it looks like we are stalling."She said the PSNI continues to have "obligations" despite the Legacy Act passing Troubles' cases to a new body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).The former Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, also gave evidence to the told the committee it was unreasonable to expect the PSNI to use "today's budget to fund yesterday's cases"."The government really need to be ready to set aside a specific budget for these matters," she said.
Belfast Telegraph
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
PSNI chief tells MPs legacy issues costing force £20m a year which could fund 400 officers
The cost of dealing with legacy issues could fund 400 new police officers, the Chief Constable has told a parliamentary committee. Jon Boutcher described dealing with Northern Ireland's troubled past as a 'millstone' as he admitted 'we are not where we should be because we spend so much time looking back at the past.' He made the comments on Wednesday morning as he addressed a Northern Ireland Affairs select committee hearing on 'The Government's new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland.' He was joined by PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Claire McGuigan, former police ombudsman and member of the House of Lords Baroness Nuala O'Loan and Operation Kenova lead officer Sir Iain Livingstone. Police at the scene of ongoing security alert at Cavehill in north Belfast Responding to a question from Gavin Robinson about the economic cost to the PSNI of investigating legacy issues, Mr Boutcher said that the PSNI is spending around £20m a year dealing with legacy issues. He added that this 'would be around 400 police officers.'
