John Topping is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Queen’s University, Belfast. His research focuses on policing and police reform in Northern Ireland, where he has spent nearly twenty years working across all policing institutions in the country in a variety of academic research, advisory and consultancy roles on areas such as stop and search, public order policing, police officer training, community policing and community safety.Michael Maguire was the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland between 2012–2019. Prior to that he was the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice for Northern Ireland. Michael has written extensively on police oversight issues and has contributed to a number of Royal Commissions on policing in Australia.Tim Prenzler is a Professor of Criminology in the School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Tim’s teaching and research areas include crime and corruption prevention, police and security officer safety, security industry regulation, gender in policing and restorative justice.

• 1. Introduction: Police Accountability and the Transformation of Police Oversight 2. The Evolution of the Police Complaints System in Northern Ireland 3. The Hayes Review and a New Beginning for Police Complaints 4. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland: A New Approach to Police Oversight 5. Accountability, Leadership and the Battle for Independence 6. Dealing with the Past: A Troubled Legacy 7. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in International Context 8. Towards a Lasting Impact for the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland 9. Police Accountability and Complaints as the ‘New Normal’ 10. Conclusion: Police Complaints in the Past, Present and Future

John Topping is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Queen’s University, Belfast. His research focuses on policing and police reform in Northern Ireland, where he has spent nearly twenty years working across all policing institutions in the country in a variety of academic research, advisory and consultancy roles on areas such as stop and search, public order policing, police officer training, community policing and community safety.Michael Maguire was the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland between 2012–2019. Prior to that he was the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice for Northern Ireland. Michael has written extensively on police oversight issues and has contributed to a number of Royal Commissions on policing in Australia.Tim Prenzler is a Professor of Criminology in the School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Tim’s teaching and research areas include crime and corruption prevention, police and security officer safety, security industry regulation, gender in policing and restorative justice.

• 1. Introduction: Police Accountability and the Transformation of Police Oversight 2. The Evolution of the Police Complaints System in Northern Ireland 3. The Hayes Review and a New Beginning for Police Complaints 4. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland: A New Approach to Police Oversight 5. Accountability, Leadership and the Battle for Independence 6. Dealing with the Past: A Troubled Legacy 7. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in International Context 8. Towards a Lasting Impact for the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland 9. Police Accountability and Complaints as the ‘New Normal’ 10. Conclusion: Police Complaints in the Past, Present and Future

John Topping is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Queen’s University, Belfast. His research focuses on policing and police reform in Northern Ireland, where he has spent nearly twenty years working across all policing institutions in the country in a variety of academic research, advisory and consultancy roles on areas such as stop and search, public order policing, police officer training, community policing and community safety.Michael Maguire was the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland between 2012–2019. Prior to that he was the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice for Northern Ireland. Michael has written extensively on police oversight issues and has contributed to a number of Royal Commissions on policing in Australia.Tim Prenzler is a Professor of Criminology in the School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Tim’s teaching and research areas include crime and corruption prevention, police and security officer safety, security industry regulation, gender in policing and restorative justice.

• 1. Introduction: Police Accountability and the Transformation of Police Oversight 2. The Evolution of the Police Complaints System in Northern Ireland 3. The Hayes Review and a New Beginning for Police Complaints 4. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland: A New Approach to Police Oversight 5. Accountability, Leadership and the Battle for Independence 6. Dealing with the Past: A Troubled Legacy 7. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in International Context 8. Towards a Lasting Impact for the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland 9. Police Accountability and Complaints as the ‘New Normal’ 10. Conclusion: Police Complaints in the Past, Present and Future