There can be no doubt that the role of Police Ombudsman is one of the toughest to be found in any area of public life both in Northern Ireland and much further afield.
It is also a vitally important post in which the occupant has the responsibility of ensuring that all sections of our divided society are consistently policed to the highest possible standards.
While only the most optimistic of observers would not expect relationships between the Ombudsman and both serving and retired officers to be regularly surrounded by periods of intense pressure, it was still striking to note that Dr Michael Maguire, in a comprehensive interview to mark his retirement yesterday, compared aspects of his work to `trench warfare.’
Dr Maguire, who took on his duties in a committed and courageous way since he was appointed in 2012, also said bluntly that some within the `policing family’ had difficulty with accountability.
The outgoing Ombudsman’s acknowledgment that the greatest sources of strain he faced were related to legacy matters will not come as a surprise.
His most high profile investigation was into the 1994 Loughinisland massacre in which six Catholic men were shot dead by the UVF while watching a World Cup match in the Heights Bar, and led to his verdict that collusion with the RUC had taken place.
The High Court later rejected a legal challenge by retired police officers claiming that the Ombudsman had exceeded his powers, with a further appeal still unresolved, so it will be accepted on all sides that matters of enormous significance were involved.
Dr Maguire certainly did not avoid also placing a critical spotlight on the PSNI when it was justified, and spoke of his deep disappointment that a failure to disclose vital information contained in police computers meant he had to stand down before three key reports could be published.
However, as he departs, it will be noted that a survey carried out by his office, which was released two weeks ago, found that 78 per cent of police officers who were the subject of an investigation completed in 2018/19, and 74 per cent of individuals who had made complaints during the same period, believed they had been treated fairly.
In the most trying of circumstances, Dr Maguire is entitled to look back with satisfaction at the advances he has supervised as Ombudsman during the last seven years.
