Chief Constable: Troubles cases passed over if suspects inactive

He said this is “no secret but it has not been widely discussed before” but they look at opportunities where there “are suspects who continue to present a threat, generally through their transfer to mainstream republicanism to dissident violent republicanism and we unashamedly look for opportunities to pursue evidence from the past to lock those people up to stop them causing more murder and mayhem today”.

If you have lost a loved one this may sound like “a lame excuse for your case not getting the attention you want” he added, but those tough trade-offs have to be made.

Mr Hamilton was speaking at a victims conference in Enniskillen on Saturday.

At the event, Fermanagh TUV representative Donald Crawford challenged the chief constable on whether the IRA and its Army Council still exist, asking: “What are you doing to put this illegal organisation out of action?”

Mr Hamilton responded that he had acted with total integrity on the matter.

“So on August 20 last year when I came to a view that the IRA – members of the IRA -– were involved in the murder of Mr McGuigan in Belfast, I called it for what it was.”

He will not be “fettered” by political commentary or consequence.

“We will do what we need to do to fulfil our responsibilies. We have shown in recent months that we are prepared to do that.”

Mr Hamilton gave an analysis on the IRA which led to a political crisis. His report was reviewed by an independent panel and upheld, he added.