Published Date: 23.01.2013

The Police Ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, has said his Office will now resume its investigations of ‘historical’ matters.

Dr Maguire was responding to a statement published this afternoon by the Criminal Justice Inspectorate in which it said the Police Ombudsman’s Office had put in place new structures and processes for the investigation and reporting of such matters.

The Inspectorate recommended that the Office should now recommence that work. Dr Maguire said he welcomed this development and said that as the new Police Ombudsman, he was satisfied his Office could investigates matters from the past in a way which would be both independent and to the highest standard.

“We have worked hard over the past months to develop our processes and I am pleased that the Inspectorate, assisted by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, are satisfied that we should now resume this work.  

“Under the law, the PSNI’s Historical Enquiries Team has had to refer certain incidents during ‘The Troubles’ to my Office for independent investigation.  Members of the public across the community have also made complaints about serious matters, including deaths, during this period.

"We have more than 150 such cases which we must now consider. It is important that these matters are dealt with,” he said.