A former senior member of the Policing Board has spoken of the need to restore full authority to the powerful oversight body
Denis Bradley is a former vice chairman of the board and served on it between 2001 and 2006.
The comments came after the Irish News yesterday revealed that Department of Justice (DoJ) permanent secretary Nick Perry said that the board “cannot exercise any of its functions”.
Mr Perry made the remarks in a letter to former board member and SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly last month.
“In the absence of its political members, we have legal advice to the effect that the board cannot exercise any of its functions,” he wrote.
He also revealed that officials recommended the Policing Board chief executive Amanda Stewart obtain her own legal advice.
A spokeswoman for the board has said “the legal advice confirms the position that the board is not constituted as required by the Police (NI) Act 2000”, but refused to provide a copy.
Political representatives have not sat on the board since the fall of the Stormont executive in January.
A month later senior board figures including its chair Anne Connolly were given delegated authority to take decisions across a range of areas.
Speaking last night Mr Bradley said legal opinion can often vary.
“I do not think it is correct or acceptable that the policing board is (left) in this situation,” he said.
He said those in charge should seek clarification on their duties.
“I think the people who have been told hold the board in being, the chair and vice chair, should be making a very strong case for clarity on this situation.
“It’s important to get the board up and running and there seems to be nothing preventing it apart from legal opinion which is disputable.”
Mr Bradley was critical of the current position the board finds itself in.
“All the political parties should be taking up their roles and what’s stopping it is ephemeral, it’s either cowardly, incompetent or pathetic - it’s one of the three.
“One of the things that is working well is the board and its relationship with the community and that should not be lost.”
Ms Kelly said policing reform was a "key component around the negotiations of the Good Friday Agreement” but the board is now “in effect defunct”.
The Policing Board is responsible for monitoring the performance of the PSNI.
It also makes senior staff appointments and has oversight of efforts to comply with the Human Rights Act.
