The logic of a justified hope: The dialectic of police reform in Northern Ireland

Ryan, Barry J.

Abstract

This article examines proposals for the reform of the relationship between internal security and state-society relations in Northern Ireland and finds a divergence from the usual liberal package of police reforms. These proposals embraced the political nature of security provision and aimed to create authentically democratic institutions endowed with sufficient power to contest the state's control over the monopoly of force. Through a Habermassian lens, the research analyses the emancipatory potential of these proposals, and examines the reasons why they were rejected in favour of a state-centric, liberal model that did not deliver the structural transformation of police— society relations sought by the people of Northern Ireland.

Citation

Ryan, B. J. (2008). The logic of a justified hope: The dialectic of police reform in Northern Ireland. Capital and Class, 32(2), 83-107. https://doi.org/10.1177/030981680809500104

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jan 1, 2008
• Publication Date: 2008-07
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2024
• Journal: Capital & Class
• Print ISSN: 0309-8168
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-0980
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 83-107
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/030981680809500104
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/847262
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/030981680809500104?icid=int.sj-abstract.citing-articles.16