In Conversation - Holding the Police to Account

In this event, Institute Fellow Dr John Topping and Honorary Professor Michael Maguire will discuss their latest book, co-authored with Professor Tim Prenzler (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia), Holding the Police to Account The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and the Transformation of Police Oversight, which offers the first comprehensive history and analysis of the Office of OPONI – considered the global ‘gold standard’ for police complaints systems.

Created in November 2000, it is the only functioning example in the world of a fully independent, civilian controlled model of dealing with complaints against the police – in this case the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

While much research has been devoted to the reform of the former Royal Ulster Constabulary and the creation of the PSNI, comparatively little attention has been devoted to the evolution and radical reform of the police complaints and accountability system in Northern Ireland.

The book fills that scholarly gap and examines the establishment of OPONI, set within debates about police complaints in the country across nearly five decades.