Why reform the police now?
The package is a key element of the complex Good Friday Agreement on peace and power-sharing. A new civilian police service, shorn of its anti-terrorist role, is supposed to reflect not only the demographic balance in Northern Ireland, but also a new era in which the IRA and other paramilitary groups give up their weapons. Is decommissioning likely? The plan had the misfortune to be announced in the same week that the IRA withdrew an offer on decommission and three of its suspected members were arrested in Colombia. This has been a bad summer for the peace process. Negotiators will now try to rebuild it ahead of elections to the power sharing assembly in September. The Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, has said he will not resume his position as first minister of the assembly until he is satisfied the IRA is putting its weapons beyond use. How does that affect the RUC Reform of the police, decommissioning and withdrawing the British army are the three biggest issues yet to be reso
Related Questions
- When is the taking of private property under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law an exercise of police power and when is it an exercise of eminent domain?
- Is the reform modelled on other European countries? Is the centralization of police forces its main objective?
- What will the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill do?
