The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland was established in 1998, as part of the Belfast Agreement. Chaired by Chris Patten (Conservative politician, and last Governor of Hong Kong), it was better known as the Patten Commission. The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major step in the Northern Ireland peace process. It was signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998 (Good Friday) by the British and Irish governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland... Lord Patten of Barnes Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC (born 12 May 1944) is a prominent British Conservative politician. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. ... The Governor of Hong Kong was a British official who ruled Hong Kong during the colonial period between 1841 and 1997 and was ex officio Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong. ...

Terms of Reference

Under the terms of reference defined in the Belfast Agreement, the Commission was to inquire into policing in Northern Ireland, consult widely, and make proposals for future policing structures and arrangements, including the Police's composition, recruitment, training, culture, ethos and symbols. The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major step in the Northern Ireland peace process. It was signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998 (Good Friday) by the British and Irish governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland...

The aim of the proposals was to be a police service which would be effective, operate in partnership with the community, cooperate with the Garda Síochána and other police forces, and be accountable both to the law and the community which it was to serve. A member of the motorcycle unit of the Garda Síochána. ...

The Report

On September 9 1999 the Commission produced its report, entitled A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland but popularly known as the Patten Report, which contained 175 symbolic and practical recommendations. Key recommendations included: September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ...

• the replacement of the Royal Ulster Constabulary by the Police Service of Northern Ireland
• a new Policing Board and District Policing Partnership Boards to ensure accountability
• the creation of a Police Ombudsman and a Complaints Tribunal
• the removal of most visible symbols of Britishness from the police service
• a 50-50 recruitment policy for Catholics and Protestants.
• a new code of ethics and oath of office, including a strong emphasis on human rights
• an emphasis on community policing and normalisation
• proposals for training, community liaison, cooperation with other police services, and recruitment from outside Northern Ireland
• repeal by the Gaelic Athletic Association of its rule 21, which prohibited members of the police or British army in Northern Ireland from being members of the Association

The report led to the publication of the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill in May 2000, and its subsequent implementation. Sinn Féin, which represents a quarter of Northern Ireland's voters, has refused to endorse the new force until they think the Patten recommendations have been implemented in full. The GAA repealed Rule 21, despite the misgivings of most members in Northern Ireland. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ... The Standard of the PSNI The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ... The Northern Ireland Policing Board is the Police Authority for Northern Ireland, charged with supervising the activities of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. ... Look up Ombudsman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary An ombudsman is an official, usually but not always appointed by the government, who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints reported by individual citizens. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... The Gaelic Athletic Association (The GAA) (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) is an organisation which is mostly focussed on promoting Irish sports, such as hurling and camogie, Gaelic football and handball, and rounders. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ... The name Sinn Féin (pronounced in English, in Irish), which means ourselves or we ourselves (not as sometimes incorrectly translated, ourselves alone or we alone) has been applied to a series of political movements since 1905 in Ireland, each of which claim or claimed sole descent from the original... For an explanation of often confusing terms like Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology). ... GAA redirects here. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms like Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology). ...

External links

• The full report (PDF)
• The Summary of Recommendations
• Police (Northern Ireland) Bill