The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) could face a bill of up to £40m after the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed its appeal in a long-running holiday pay dispute.
The case, brought by more than 3,700 police officers and civilian staff, concerned a holiday pay shortfall dating back to 1998. In 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld an industrial tribunal's finding that the claimants were owed money. The PSNI accepted the underpayment but challenged the time period the settlements should cover.
Announcing the decision, Supreme Court Justice Lady Rose said the appeal had been dismissed unanimously. The PSNI's assistant chief officer for corporate services, Mark McNaughten, said the organisation would now need to consider how to meet the potential costs. "This appeal was progressed in order to seek a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court on difficult points of law and to help ensure that our officers and staff are fairly remunerated in line with our legal obligations," he said.
The ruling compounds existing pressures on the PSNI, which is already facing significant budget problems and a leadership crisis following the resignation of Chief Constable Simon Byrne last month.
Liam Kelly, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, described the judgement as a "most significant legal milestone". He argued that it might have been more cost-effective for the PSNI to accept earlier rulings rather than pursue the case to the Supreme Court. "This is the end of the road for PSNI legally - their appeal has been resoundingly dismissed so the remedy process can now recommence," he added.
