What is the latest news?
There has been no further news from the Defendant regarding the proposed “universal offer”. The position appears to remain that despite a business case for a “universal offer” having been recently approved by both the Department of Justice and Department of Finance, the PSNI cannot proceed to make the offer as the total figure is not affordable within current PSNI funding.
We remain extremely disappointed and frustrated that it has taken until now for the PSNI to raise such a crucial issue and hope that the PSNI will resolve funding issues as a matter of urgency to allow for the universal offer to be made as soon as possible.
What about the test cases?
We are now focusing our efforts on the test cases which are listed for hearing starting on 3rd November 2025. A number of cases will be heard by the Court which will seek to deal with common issues as far as the Court thinks appropriate and to decide damages for the individual test cases. The cases will likely not conclude for a number of weeks.
The figure for damages in any test case will be specific to that plaintiff and will not represent what every plaintiff should get. We hope however to be able to use the Test cases to draw out guidance about what figure for damages might be appropriate for each individual plaintiff.
What is the next step for me?
If you have registered with us and are a member of the Police Federation, you should have received a questionnaire to complete. Thank you to those who have already returned completed questionnaires. If you have not yet returned your questionnaire, we would ask that you take some time to complete and return same to the PFNI, who will in turn pass it securely to us.
If you have registered with us and are not a member of the Police Federation, you should have received a questionnaire directly from Edwards Solicitors. Again, thank you to those who have already completed and returned their questionnaire. If you have not yet done so, we would ask that you take some time to complete it and return it directly to us.
What if I haven’t received a questionnaire?
Firstly, please check your junk mail and spam folders to check that the email is not there. If not, and if you are a PFNI member, please contact the PFNI to check that you are registered and to ask for a questionnaire to be sent to you.
If you are not a PFNI member and you have not received a questionnaire, please contact us directly via email at psnidatabreach@edwardsandcompany.co.uk, or by calling our office and speaking to Philip Gordon or Rachel Powderly.
Can I still join the claim?
Yes, you can still join the claim. If you are a PFNI member, please contact the PFNI to register with them and they will pass your name to us for addition to the claim and send to you a questionnaire for completion and return.
If you are not a PFNI member please contact us directly.
How do I contact you if I have any queries?
If you have any queries from time to time, please contact us via email at psnidatabreach@edwardsandcompany.co.uk or by calling our office and speaking to Philip Gordon or Rachel Powderly.