Northern Ireland

Documents & Texts from America.gov

10 July 2008
Northern Ireland’s First Police Ombudsman a Seeker of Truth

Nuala O’Loan investigated citizen allegations of police abuse

Nuala O'Loan
(U.S. Embassy London image)

Washington -- As the first police ombudsman for Northern Ireland, Nuala Patricia O’Loan had an incredibly tough job: provide independent, impartial investigations of complaints of abuses committed by officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and its predecessor, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).

But during her tenure (1999-2007), she worked to carry out her duties with transparency, fairness and reconciliation, despite personal threats and attacks on her and her family. Her work won her an appointment as Dame Commander of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, a high honor in the United Kingdom.

Her bravery also won her recognition in the United States: O’Loan was nominated for the U.S. secretary of state’s International Women of Courage Award.

The award, now in its second year, is the result of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s desire to recognize women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership.

NO STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY

In her position as ombudsman for the PSNI, O'Loan investigated numerous allegations of police misdeeds, regardless of the political consequences.

The most controversial and far-reaching was an inquiry into the 1997 murder of Raymond McCord. O’Loan’s investigation confirmed allegations of collusion between some elements of the now defunct RUC and loyalist paramilitaries and revealed a paid informant of the RUC was responsible during the 1990s for 10 murders of Catholics and Protestants. O’Loan presented her findings in full, despite warnings that revealing the full facts of the case might result in physical harm to her and her staff.

O'Loan's complete and transparent investigation into this murder, which remained a source of distrust and hostility within Northern Ireland a decade after it took place, boosted overall confidence in law enforcement among the people of Northern Ireland and improved their confidence in effective oversight of the police.

In her own life, O'Loan has demonstrated a remarkable personal commitment to public service and the principle of justice. While attending Ulster University in 1977, she lost her unborn child as a result of a bomb attack, but she did not let her own experience of terrorist violence affect her dedication to justice for all the people of Northern Ireland or her commitment to peaceful, political change.

After she completed her tenure as police ombudsman for Northern Ireland, she took on the job of Ireland’s roving ambassador for conflict resolution and special envoy to Timor Leste.

O’Loan also serves as a special commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for Great Britain and chair of the formal investigation into human rights. She also is a member of the Independent Group for Dialogue and Peace working in the Basque region of Spain.

For further information see:
http://democracy.america.gov/democracy/rights/promotingrights.html .

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