What is the Notifiable Membership Register and why is it necessary?
The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (Patten) recommended the introduction of this register. As a result when the Policing Board published the PSNI Code of Ethics, which sets out the standards of behaviours for police officers, provision was made for a policy to be introduced on notifiable memberships.
The policy was agreed by PSNI in August 2003. Guidance for officers on this policy, and accompanying notes for guidance were issued in April 2004. However, following a legal challenge, the Chief Constable decided to suspend the register until the outcome of the judicial review was known.
That Judicial Review was subsequently withdrawn, however following legal advice the PSNI terminated the process and withdrew the notes for guidance.
While both the Chief Constable and the Policing Board supported the need for legislative change (in order to spell out clearly for officers the organisations they had to register membership of) it was agreed that a second process would be run and the outcome awaited before any final decisions on legislative change would be taken.
A second process was commenced and the outcome of that was reported to the Policing Board’s Community and Human Rights Committee in May 2006. Members (an indeed the service) are satisfied with the outcome of the second process which all officers, bar a small number (less than 20), have complied with. Only 25 officers have declared a membership which they believe could be perceived as impacting on their ability to discharge their duties effectively and impartially. 91% of officers had no membership to declare.
There are stringent guidelines on the management of the information submitted and the Policing Board will carefully monitor this issue.