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10 September 2009

Ten years since the release of the Patten Report what lessons have been learnt from the process of change in policing in Northern Ireland and how can they help build a new public sector on the basis of a shared rather than a divided society?

This is the question being considered today (Thursday 10 September) in a seminar discussion hosted by the Community Relations Council in partnership with Queen’s University’s Institute of Governance as part of a commemoration of the process of change in policing.

Kathleen O’Toole, Chief Inspector of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, and the keynote speaker, says:

‘In recent decades, there has been a remarkable evolution in democratic policing.  There is no better example of that than Northern Ireland.  The Patten Commission set the stage for a 'new beginning' for policing, but ultimate success depends entirely on strong community partnerships and collaboration.’

Duncan Morrow, Chief Executive of the Community Relations Council, says:

‘The process of policing change was a challenging and difficult one which required political, organisational and community leadership to implement. Other challenges still exist to make Northern Ireland a truly integrated society. Peace is not just the absence of conflict. It requires people, organisations and institutions to work together in an integrated way. So many of our social structures are still segregated. This event will help us explore the significant aspects of policing change and allow us to think more broadly about how to build a cohesive and shared Northern Ireland.’

Professor Sally Wheeler, Director, Institute of Governanace QUB, adds:

'This event is an important opportunity to both examine the process of policing change and explore how the lessons that emerge from it can help to build a shared and cohesive society in Northern Ireland. We are fortunate to have speakers who understand the complexity of change in large organisations and the still divided nature of Northern Ireland. I hope this event will lead to further insights into how we move forward together'

Other panel members will include

Margaret Ritchie MLA, Minister for Social Development

Basil McCrea MLA

Dr Maurice Hayes

Peter Smith QC

Paul Leighton, Former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable

Joe Stewart, PSNI Director of Human Resources

Brendan McAllister, former Director of Mediation NI

Peter McNaney, Chief Executive, Belfast City Council

Billy Gamble, former head of OFMDFM’s Reconciliation and Good Relations Division

Dr Sidney Elliott. School of Politics, QUB

Dr Joanne Murphy

Professor Colin Harvey, School of Law, QUB

The seminar will be held from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm at the Institute of Governance, University Road, Belfast.

For further details contact

Ray Mullan 028 90 227500

(mobile 07753724484)

Email: rmullan@nicrc.org.uk