Northern Ireland’s police service faces anti-Catholic discrimination cases

Belfast, Northern Ireland, Mar 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Four former police officers have taken legal action against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for anti-Catholic discrimination. The PSNI is the third-largest police force in the United Kingdom.

The cases come 23 years after the force was established to create a new start for policing after years of controversies related to alleged discrimination.

The PSNI was established in 2001 following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

One of the officers taking legal action spoke to the Belfast Telegraph on condition of anonymity. “Sean,” who joined the force at the outset and who has now left and is suing his former employer, said: “If I were talking to [a] new recruit, I would have to say, think long and hard about it; long and hard — especially if you’re a Roman Catholic officer, because there’s so much baggage.”

His attorney, Kevin Winters of KRW LAW, said: “This wasn’t an easy decision for ‘Sean’ to make given the well-documented difficulties he experienced throughout his time in front-line policing. However, on balance, he feels compelled to take this case if nothing else than to put a marker down. He sees his case contributing to opening up the debate on residual sectarian attitudes which still, unfortunately, permeate the PSNI.”

Winters explained that when his client joined the police just after the Good Friday Agreement, “he did so with the best of intentions to help make a change to policing and society. He never envisaged that 20 years later he’d be instructing [attorneys] to take legal action in relation to some of the problems he encountered during that time.”

Winters pointed to four such cases before the courts. “Significantly, he’s not the only Catholic officer doing so. I can confirm this is the fourth such case we’ve been instructed in over the last nine months,” he said. “The common thread running through each of the case details relates to embedded cultural sectarianism — some of which is at a low level but in other instances is quite significant. I have to state that in each case there’s an understandable hesitancy about venturing into legal action of this nature.“

In a statement, the Catholic Police Officer Guild of Northern Ireland said: “We are deeply concerned by his reports of internal sectarianism and the challenges faced by him as a Catholic in the PSNI.

“Such issues undermine the principles of equality and respect that are foundational to effective policing and community trust. The guild stands in solidarity with all officers and staff who have faced discrimination and emphasizes the importance of fostering an inclusive environment within the PSNI. We and the public expect and demand a workplace culture within PSNI where everyone is treated with respect and dignity,” the statement said.

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said that what he had been told “is disgraceful and has no place whatsoever in the Police Service of Northern Ireland.”

The issue of policing in Northern Ireland was a key issue throughout negotiations with the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland governments. The PSNI was preceded by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), which was viewed with deep mistrust by the majority of the Catholic and nationalist population of Northern Ireland.

The RUC was viewed as a predominantly Protestant police force that did not conduct its duties with impartiality and was considered sectarian. The force was repeatedly linked with allegations of collusion with Loyalist paramilitary groups against Catholics and of operating a shoot-to-kill policy against Irish Republicans.

When the PSNI was established following recommendations by the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland (“The Patten Report”), 50-50 recruitment was one of the recommendations contained within and was in place from 2001 to 2011. During this time, an equal number of those who belonged to the Catholic community and those who belonged to the non-Catholic community were appointed from a merit pool of suitably qualified candidates.

The latest recruitment campaign for the PSNI closed last Wednesday. Of the 3,500 applications, about 27% were made by people who identify as Catholic. PSNI officer numbers currently remain at 6,300, far below the chief constable’s ideal force of 7,000 officers.

The lack of confidence among Catholics in the force is a concern. A return to a 50-50 policy has been suggested as a potential solution, but legal actions asserting anti-Catholic behaviors will not build confidence.

Singleton doubled down on his comments that the PSNI will not tolerate religious discrimination. “As a service, we do not and will not tolerate this kind of alleged wrongdoing by our officers or staff. This retired officer’s experience reinforces that we need to do more to give officers and staff the confidence and courage to report wrongdoing in the workplace.”

He added: “We accept that and are actively working to do so. Where we do receive information or complaints around wrongdoing, they are robustly investigated and if proven officers can face penalties up to and including dismissal.”