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European Journal of Policing Studies

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Issue Online First, 2022 Expand all abstracts
Article

Access_open The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Organizational Legitimacy and Conditionality

Keywords police, oversight, legitimacy, Northern Ireland
Authors Gavin Boyd and Gordon Marnoch
AbstractAuthor's information

    The article addresses organizational legitimacy in the public services, conducting an analysis of the records of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (OPONI) 2000-2018. A framework of organizational legitimacy provides a basis for examining OPONI’s record with respect to fulfilment of purpose, administrative efficiency and outcomes. Results suggest that OPONI needs to adjust to changing societal circumstances in Northern Ireland to sustain its role in persuading the people that policing is both fair and appropriate. A strategic reset is required given the diminished number of complaints cases linked to political conflict in order to avoid inadvertently destabilizing the post-conflict governance of policing.


Gavin Boyd
Gavin Boyd served 30 years in the RUC GC/PSNI before working as Policing Consultant in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is currently an Associate at Liverpool Centre for Advance Policing at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, and the UK College of Policing. His research focuses on policing intelligence and terrorism, police accountability and criminal justice.

Gordon Marnoch
Gordon Marnoch’s research examines issues in public services, particularly policing and health care. He has written two books and published in numerous journals, including Public Administration, Public Performance Management Review, Policing, Policing & Society and the European Journal of Policing Studies. He has advised several public organizations and a parliamentary committee inquiry. Corresponding author: Gordon Marnoch, gj.marnoch@ulster.ac.uk.