Promoting Justice /
Protecting Rights

Accountable Policing and Justice

At its broadest, the concept of contemporary accountability refers to the “guarantees of non-recurrence” of major human rights violations established following a conflict. It involves many areas of society but with the common aim of establishing a fair and just system in which all people can have trust and confidence.

In a narrower sense, the concept refers to the laws, mechanisms and institutions which govern and hold to account the actions of the state, especially those elements entrusted with coercive powers. The goal of transitional justice, the term used in regions overcoming a past of violent conflict and building a new polity, is a society based on human rights and the rule of law. Progress towards that goal is essential if peace is to be based on confidence by all people in the institutions of state. Arguably, such progress is even more essential in a situation like ours where people with different national aspirations and even allegiances must share the same political and geographical space. One of the keys to contemporary accountability is policing and Justice.

Latest press releases and publications

04
Oct

Tribunal to consider whether MI5 covert agents can commit serious criminal offences

04/10/2018,
Agents for Britain’s Security Service are authorised to commit serious crimes, on British soil, without informing prosecutors, under a secretive MI5 policy, a court heard today. Reprieve, Privacy International, the Pat Finucane Centre and CAJ are challenging the legality of the scheme before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in London. The groups’ leading counsel, Ben Jaffey...
11
Sep

CAJ criticises ECHR decision on ‘Hooded Men’ case

11/09/2018,
CAJ has criticised the decision taken by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today to refuse a request to re-examine the ‘Hooded Men’ case in its Grand Chamber. The case concerns the ‘interrogation in depth’ of the Hooded Men during their internment in 1971. While detained without charge or trial, these 14 men were...
21
Sep

S468 CAJ’s submission to the Committee of Ministers, August 2017

21/09/2017
S468-CAJs-Submission-to-the-Committee-of-Ministers-Aug-2017
19
Feb

How Public Order Policing Works in Northern Ireland: Standards and Accountability

19/02/2016,
No.-67-How-Public-Order-Policing-Works-in-Northern-Ireland-Standards-and-Accountability-Feb-2016 This document attempts to give an account of the standards to which the Police Service of Northern Ireland aspires when carrying out public order policing and some of the issues that arise. These standards are to be found in domestic legislation, a series of police guidance documents and international human rights instruments, primarily the...
01
Feb

S451 to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) consultation on the draft proposed PRONI Statutory Rule The Court Files Privileged Access Rules

01/02/2016,
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) is the sponsor department for the Public Records Office for Northern Ireland (PRONI). The DCAL Minister is currently the minister responsible for decisions on release of records, this is planned to transfer to the new Department of the Communities later in 2016. 3. A consultation was launched...
01
Jan

S450 to the United Nations Committee Against Torture On the List of Issues for the UK

01/01/2016,
CAJ files this submission on the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LoIPR) for the Committee against Torture’s 57th Session from 18 April – 13 May 2016. This is to be read in conjunction with the submission from CAJ on the UK’s 5th periodic report under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or...
03
Dec

S449 Written Evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill

03/12/2015,
S449-CAJ-Written-Evidence-to-Joint-Commitee-on-Draft-Investigatory-Powers-Bill-December-2015 CAJ welcomes the opportunity to provide Written Evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill. The bill provides a new framework for the use of investigatory powers, with a focus on surveillance. Outside of the issues with the current bill CAJ wishes to draw attention to other areas of covert policing...
03
Nov

S448 to the Committee of Ministers in relation to the supervision of the cases concerning the action of the security forces in Northern Ireland

03/11/2015,
S448-CAJ-Submission-to-Committee-of-Ministers-November-2015
03
Jun

S444 to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the UK’s 7th Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

03/06/2015,
S444-CAJ-Submission-to-ICCPR-June-2015 CAJ focuses this shadow report on the following matters which are included in the Committee’s List of Issues (LoI) for the UK (CCPR/C/GBR/Q/7, 20 November 2014) and previous Concluding Observations (CO) (CCPR/C/GBR/CO/6 30 July 2008): The planned repeal of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights (Art. 2, LoI...
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