PSNI chief constable will not appeal against critical ruling over treatment of officers

Mr Boutcher said he accepts the judgment and has offered to meet the officers to apologise.

A High Court judge found earlier this year that actions taken against two junior police officers over an incident at a Troubles memorial event in Belfast were unlawful.

In August former chief constable Simon Byrne initially said he accepted the judgment, but later indicated he was considering launching an appeal.

He resigned in September following a string of controversies, including that judgment as well as a significant data breach.

Mr Justice Scoffield ruled in August that the decision was made to discipline the officers to allay any threat of Sinn Fein abandoning its support for policing in Northern Ireland.

The incident happened on the Ormeau Road in February 2021 during a service marking the anniversary of the February 1992 Sean Graham bookmakers attack in which five people were murdered.

The two officers faced action in 2021 after the arrest of Mark Sykes, a survivor of a loyalist gun attack on the bookmakers in south Belfast.

The incident unfolded when police challenged people attending a memorial event amid suspicions that the size of the public gathering breached coronavirus regulations.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Boutcher said that he accepts the judgment and does not intend to appeal.

"I can confirm that, following consideration of the Judicial Review findings, the Police Service of Northern Ireland accept the judgment and do not intend to lodge an appeal," he said.

"I have communicated my position to the chair of the Police Federation who will inform both officers. I acknowledge that our judgment was wrong and unlawful and I have offered to meet both officers to apologise.

"I realise this judgment has had a significant impact both within and outside the organisation. The Service Executive Team and I realise that our focus now must be on rebuilding confidence and trust with our officers and staff and across all communities."

Liam Kelly, chair of the Police Federation, said Mr Boutcher's statement is "most welcome", and praised his quick action.

"It is hugely heartening for our officers that within 24 hours of formally taking up his position, the interim chief constable has ruled out legally challenging this judgment," he said.

"I have personally spoken to both officers and this decision has come as a great relief both to them and indeed their colleagues in the wider service.

"This is a most welcome outcome. What the interim chief constable has demonstrated so early in his term in office is that he is listening and acting decisively on the concerns we have raised. In my view he couldn't have made a better start to his role at the helm of this service which is in dire need of strong leadership and direction.

"This positive and most welcome decision is a major statement of intent to our men and women and he is to be applauded for his swift action."

However, Mr Kelly cautioned that Mr Boutcher still faces an "uphill task of tackling plummeting officer morale, a dire budgetary situation, a 'freeze' on recruitment and declining officer numbers".