ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY - A REPORT ON THE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

• NCJ Number: 39360
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council for Civil Liberties
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; National Council for Civil Liberties
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES' (NCCL) REPORT EXAMINES THE STATE OF CIVIL LIBERTIES IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND RECOMMENDS PROCEDURES FOR STRENGTHENING THEM.

Abstract

PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY (RUC) REPRESENT A SEGMENT OF A BROADER PROBLEM OF CONFIDENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. PART OF THIS COULD BE ALLEVIATED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL. SUCH A TRIBUNAL, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, WOULD INVESTIGATE AND ADJUDICATE PUBLIC COMPLAINT AGAINST THE RUC. THE NCCL SEES AUTHORITY FOR SUCH A TRIBUNAL IN A GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON NORTHERN IRELAND. FIGURES ON COMPLAINTS INDICATE THAT BY APRIL 1975, 10 OUT OF 3,759 COMPLAINTS MADE UNDER THE 1970 POLICE ACT HAD RESULTED IN CORRECTIONS. THE RUC, THE REPORT SAYS, HAS BEEN SUSPECT BY CATHOLICS--WHO COMPRISE ONLY EIGHT PERCENT OF THE POLICE FORCE--FOR A LONG TIME. ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A TRIBUNAL WOULD BE A MAJOR STEP IN RESTORING LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE RUC. THE BOOKLET ALSO DESCRIBES HOW SUCH A TRIBUNAL WOULD OPERATE....BS