25 June 2026

Responding to the appointment of Jacqui Durkin as the new Police Ombudsman, SDLP Policing Board member Colin McGrath MLA said:

“Jacqui Durkin has had a distinguished career in the civil service and I welcome her appointment as the new Police Ombudsman. However, the enormous delay by the Executive Office in making this appointment, at a time when serious issues were emerging within the Ombudsman’s Office, tells its own story about how this administration operates.

“It has taken almost seven months for an appointment to be made. When public confidence in an important institution is under pressure, that level of delay is simply not good enough.

“The Ombudsman’s Office now has a leadership team that includes former civil service and policing experience. That makes it all the more important that the organisation demonstrates complete independence in its work. 

“The challenge now is to restore confidence, strengthen accountability and ensure the Ombudsman’s Office is once again recognised as a robust, independent watchdog acting in the public interest.”