Justice Minister Naomi Long has praised the “courage and professionalism” of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers following recent dissident republican attacks, while warning that the force faces the most severe financial pressures she has ever witnessed. Speaking at the Police Federation of Northern Ireland (PFNI) annual conference on 20 May 2026, Ms Long outlined new legal protections for officers under forthcoming sentencing legislation, but stressed that unresolved legacy litigation costs of £100 million continue to drain resources needed for frontline policing.
New Protections for Officers Under Sentencing Bill
The Minister used her address to highlight the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill, introduced to the Assembly in March 2026, which she said would provide stronger legal protections for officers attacked in the line of duty. The legislation creates a new offence of assaulting a person performing a public duty or delivering a public service, carrying stronger maximum penalties and a statutory aggravator to ensure attacks on serving officers are clearly recognised by the courts.
Ms Long told delegates:
“I believe that violence directed at police officers is not only an attack on the individual – it is an attack on the rule of law and on the safety of the wider community.
“As PSNI officers you deserve respect, protection and the full backing of the justice system. Through this Bill, and through continued engagement with policing partners, I will continue to work to ensure that our laws stand firmly behind those who stand on the frontline for all of us. I remain confident that the Bill will complete its passage before the end of the current mandate and receive Royal Assent shortly thereafter.”
The Bill is currently progressing through the Assembly’s Committee Stage, with the Justice Committee scrutinising provisions that would also extend unduly lenient sentence arrangements to all Crown Court sentences and introduce “Charlotte’s Law” regarding killers who fail to disclose victims’ remains.
Financial Crisis and Legacy Burden
Despite her commitment to legislative protections, Ms Long delivered a stark assessment of the PSNI’s financial position, describing resource pressures exceeding £100 million in the coming year before accounting for further exceptional liabilities. She singled out the cost of dealing with the past as a unique and unsustainable burden on the force.
The Minister stated:
“In this coming year alone, we are projecting resource stabilisation pressures in excess of £100m and that is before taking account of further exceptional liabilities. To be blunt, I have never known the financial picture to be as bad as it is right now.
“We cannot overlook the ongoing impact of funding investigations into the legacy of our past. The PSNI estimates the cost of legacy litigation alone to be £100m. That is funding that could be redirected elsewhere to ease some of the significant pressures being felt day in and day out from right across the justice system.
“No other police force has to deal with these hangovers from the past and I am clear that we cannot continue to absorb these costs any longer. We must ensure we have adequate funding to support all investigations and ensure that we can protect our communities in the present. I do not accept that these costs are ours to bear and I am determined that it is the UK Government – not the Executive – that should provide proper and adequate funding to deal with legacy issues.”
Her comments follow recent revelations by Chief Constable Jon Boutcher that legacy matters have cost the PSNI £160 million over the last decade, with annual costs equivalent to 400 police officers. The force is currently managing over 1,100 outstanding civil actions related to the Troubles period.
Workforce Recovery Shows Modest Gains
Against this financial backdrop, Ms Long highlighted recent progress in rebuilding officer numbers, which had fallen to an historic low of 6,190 by late 2025. She confirmed that as of the start of May 2026, strength had increased to 6,315 officers.
The Minister noted:
“Through representations during recent monitoring rounds, we were able to secure additional in year PSNI funding allocations of £69m in 2023-24 and a further £73m in 2024-25.
“My strategic priority is to support the recovery and stabilisation of the workforce, enabling PSNI to recruit, retain and develop high quality officers while working to support morale, wellbeing and operational resilience.
“I am therefore pleased to see the initial impacts of year one of the recovery plan with officer numbers standing at 6,315 as of start of this month up from a historic low of 6,190 towards the end of 2025. While there remains a great deal of work ahead, to achieve a fully recovery for police numbers, it is comforting to see the initial steps of the plan coming to fruition.”
The workforce recovery plan ultimately aims to increase officer numbers to 7,000, though Chief Constable Boutcher has previously argued that 8,000 would be required to meet comparable policing levels across the UK.
25th Anniversary and Recent Security Threats
The Minister’s address came in the PSNI’s 25th anniversary year, established following the Patten Commission reforms of 2001. Her praise for officer bravery followed dissident republican car bomb attacks on police stations in Lurgan in March and Dunmurry in April 2026, both attributed to the New IRA.
Reflecting on the anniversary, Ms Long said:
“The ability of the PSNI officers to immediately and effectively respond in such dangerous circumstances, protecting life and our communities, demonstrates the commitment to the role. Public confidence is strengthened not by the absence of threat, but by the visible competence and bravery of those responding to it.”
“PSNI officers have played a central role in supporting peace, stability and public confidence during a period of profound change. Policing in Northern Ireland has never been straightforward, and those who serve here do so in a complex environment shaped by legacy issues, a continuing security threat and intense public and political scrutiny.
“Throughout this period, you have worked tirelessly to protect communities, disrupt organised crime and terrorism and support victims, all whilst responding to the growing range of challenges facing modern policing. You have done so while navigating the expectations that come with policing in a post‑conflict society, where legitimacy, fairness and community trust are paramount.”
Questions Remain Over Funding and Legislative Timelines
While the Minister expressed confidence that the Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill will complete its passage before the current mandate ends ahead of the May 2027 Assembly elections, the tight legislative timeline raises practical questions. The Bill must still pass Committee Stage, Further Consideration Stage, and Final Stage before receiving Royal Assent.
Key questions arising from the Minister’s address include:
- Will the UK Treasury accept Ms Long’s argument that legacy litigation costs are a reserved matter requiring Westminster funding, or will the £100 million annual burden continue to fall on the devolved budget?
- Given that officer numbers have only increased by 125 since the historic low of 6,190, what specific milestones will mark progress toward the 7,000-officer target over the remaining two years of the mandate?
- How will the new assault offence interact with existing laws, and what sentencing guidelines will ensure the statutory aggravator for attacks on officers results in meaningful deterrents?
- With the Department facing “the worst financial picture” the Minister has known, what contingency plans exist if the £100 million legacy costs cannot be transferred to Westminster?
The Department of Justice has indicated that Ms Long will continue lobbying the Treasury regarding legacy funding, while working with the Chief Constable to implement the workforce recovery plan within existing constraints.