The Principles of Democratic Policing

Abstract

This chapter discusses the place of democratic police reform in Northern Ireland. The police reform process in Northern Ireland provides am interesting case study which allows one to explore the varied dimensions of democratic policing. The context for police reform is framed by the experience of ethnic conflict. In Northern Ireland, there is clearly a religious dimension to the conflict given the historical relationship between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland dating back several centuries. The ethno-national argument focuses on the way in which ethnic and national identities come into conflict in Northern Ireland. Since the creation of Northern Ireland and the organization of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in the1920s, the police have been played a key role in the conflict in Northern Ireland. In the Good Friday Agreement, there is a great deal of detail describing the political institutions that are to shape the political future for Northern Ireland.