𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩

The GSD are surprised at the timing and composition of the launch of a Steering Group on governance reforms to the Royal Gibraltar Police.

Throughout their 14 years in office the GSLP have shown little interest in governance reforms to enhance the independence of the Gibraltar Police Authority (GPA) or of the Police. Indeed, notoriously there have been plenty of allegations and cross-allegations in the McGrail Inquiry that would tread precisely on the governance of the Police or the GPA, their relationship with the Government and the importance of preventing Executive overreach into the operational activities of either.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐊𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐳𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝:

“The GSD is committed to the reform of governance of the GPA, protecting their independence and that of the RGP and ensuring that there are clear and robust structures that create checks and balances on the power of the Government as well as enhance consultation of the Opposition. In Government we would pursue such reforms. However, we are deeply sceptical of a process spearheaded by a GSLP Government that far from having had any real commitment to this area before has, in fact, shown a disdain for Police governance. Given that we have not yet seen the Inquiry findings we are concerned this is at best window dressing or at worst a smokescreen from any criticisms in that Report to come.

The McGrail Inquiry has not yet reported and may clearly impact on matters of Police or GPA governance. As such it seems to us that reforms will necessarily be informed by that Inquiry report and that forging ahead now is premature when the report has not been delivered still less published.

Secondly the composition of the steering group is heavily made up by those who were core participants and indeed key witnesses in the McGrail Inquiry. Legitimately many people will struggle to have confidence in a “reform” process led by the very people at the heart of the Inquiry. People may think that the GSLP Government will seek to protect themselves, not learn from the past and be a handbrake to the necessary reforms.

There is little to suggest that there is anything except central GSLP Government and Party control in this Steering Group process. Given the quasi-constitutional importance of the Police and its governance our view is that any reforms would necessarily need to involve top-level influence in decision-making from persons outside the Government and its political parties and be drawn on a cross-party basis. There should also be participants drawn from the Judiciary and senior members of the Bar. For example, the Police Authority was born out of a cross-party proposal of the Select Committee on the Constitution in 2002. It seems obvious that before any changes are undertaken in this sensitive area they should first involve cross-party participation at the highest level.”