Justice Minister Naomi Long has published the Department of Justice's response to the Independent Review of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. The review, commissioned in September 2024, assessed the Board's statutory functions, its accountability of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and its other roles and practices.

Paul Sweeney, a former Permanent Secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, conducted the review. Dr John Topping, a senior lecturer in Criminology at Queen’s University Belfast, served as the independent expert advisor. Sweeney consulted over 70 stakeholders, including statutory bodies.

Long thanked Sweeney and Topping for their thorough work. The review found support for keeping the Board in its current statutory form and recommended no structural changes. It proposed measures to improve the Board's effectiveness, clarify roles, increase strategic focus, and support good governance.

Long accepted several recommendations or accepted them in principle for action by the Board and PSNI. She prioritised respect for independence and proportionality given fiscal constraints. Many improvements can occur within the existing framework without new laws or structures.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of both the Policing Board and the PSNI. Long noted their roles in promoting policing by consent and building public confidence.

Policing Board Chair Brendan Mullan welcomed the Minister's response. The Board has advanced its own implementation plan since the review's release in January 2025. It held discussions with the Department of Justice, the Chief Constable, and other stakeholders. The Board will now review the Minister's response.