KEY aspects of the police complaints and disciplinary procedures in the North have again been highlighted as inadequate and unsatisfactory by the in dependent body charged with supervising the system.
In its annual report, the Independent Commission for Police Complaints points out that internal disciplinary charges against RUC officers have been dismissed even in cases where complainants have been awarded substantial monetary compensation in related civil proceedings.
The ICPC chairman, Mr James Grew, also repeated his call for the commission to be given the power to institute investigations rather than wait to be called in by the RUC or the Northern Secretary.
The British government has so far refused to give the commission this power of independent intervention and many incidents have gone uninvestigated.
Mr Grew said he felt they had made a very strong case for this reform. The decision as to what was in the community or police interest in Northern Ireland should be made by an independent body which was not beholden to either.
"If there is no complaint after an incident in the community, we should be the people who will make the judgment as to whether the investigation of that particular incident is supervised or not."
He said the commission was disappointed that its main recommendations, made in two triennial reviews over the past six years, had not as yet been accepted by the Northern Secretary.
The report reveals that only a handful of public complaints against the police result in disciplinary hearings. Where disciplinary action is decided on it often takes the form of "a constructive discussion, advice or admonishment".
In 1995, only five charges out of a total of 22 heard by internal disciplinary hearings were found proved, and appeals to the Chief Constable have been lodged in respect of three of these.
During the same year, the chief constable upheld appeals relating to three of nine charges proved in 1994. In one of these appeal cases relating to charges of discreditable conduct and discriminatory behaviour an officer had been found guilty by two assistant chief constables at the original disciplinary hearing.
"The present discipline procedures are unsatisfactory, with a very high standard of proof required to prove even the most minor charge," the ICPC report comments.
At present, the Chief Constable has the sole power to decide whether or not an approach by a member of the public constitutes a valid complaint.
The RUC carries out the investigation into complaints made against its members. The ICPC's role is limited mainly to close supervision of the investigation and certification at the conclusion that it has been carried out satisfactorily.