HC Deb 20 May 2002 vol 386 c57W
Mrs. Iris Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been made against the Police Ombudsman's Office by(a) members and (b) ex-members of the RUC/PSNI: how many legal actions are outstanding against her or her investigators; in how many cases she has carried out a successful prosecution; how many times she has had to pay out compensation and the amount paid out; and how many cases she has undertaken relating to matters for which the Director of Public Prosecutions or Attorney General has directed that there be no prosecution. [48854]

Jane Kennedy

The Police Ombudsman advises that since the opening of the Police Ombudsman's Office on 6 November 2000 until 3 May 20021(a) Eight serving members of the police force have made complaints against the Police Ombudsman's Office. 1(b) No ex-members of the police force have made complaints against the Police Ombudsman's Office. There are currently 11 legal actions outstanding against the Police Ombudsman or her investigators: Industrial/Fair Employment—7 Judicial Reviews—4 The Police Ombudsman does not prosecute cases; the Director of Public Prosecutions is responsible for deciding on prosecutions. No orders for compensation have been made against the Police Ombudsman by the courts. To date the Ombudsman's Office has referred 93 case files to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In two cases where the Ombudsman's Office has recommended prosecutions the DPP has directed no prosecution, and 33 files are awaiting the DPP's direction.

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