First Minister concerned after police officer names appear on NI courts website

Northern Ireland’s First Minister has expressed concern after a number of police officers’ names were published on the courts website.

It came as officers seek compensation after their details were published in a major data breach in 2023.

The Department of Justice said it took immediate action and removed the online public court list.

Almost 10,000 police officers and staff were affected by the 2023 breach when their details were published online, as the PSNI responded to a Freedom of Information request, leading to fears their safety had been compromised.

Police officers remain under a threat from terrorists assessed by MI5 as “substantial”.

Earlier this week, the PSNI made an offer of £7,500 each in compensation.

The Stormont Executive has agreed to ring fence £119 million to fund the awards.

Michelle O’Neill said: “This is the day when we’re actually responding to the previous data breach.

“The details are still to be unfolded in terms of how it has happened, but the PSNI need to fulfil their responsibilities in terms of the police officers that serve, that they ensure that their information is protected, that they do everything to support those officers who serve.

“We cannot be in another situation where we have to find money out of public funds to rectify a mistake that was made with PSNI data.”

In a statement the PSNI referred to a “limited list of names”.

“The Police Service of Northern Ireland is aware of a number of claimants who have ongoing civil claims regarding the August 2023 data breach which have been published  on NI Courts Service website. These names have been supplied by their legal representatives,” they said.

“The limited list of names is not part of the group litigation involving several thousand officers and staff.”

A Department of Justice spokesperson said: “The department is aware that details published on the public court lists online service included the names of individuals taking civil action against the PSNI today [February 4 2026].

“Court details, other than those relating to family proceedings, are routinely listed publicly online unless an application is made to the court for anonymity. The NI Courts and Tribunals Service has no authority to grant anonymity.

“This is a matter for the court and applications to the court are the responsibility of the legal representative or parties to proceedings.

“As a precautionary measure, the department took immediate action and made the decision to have public court lists online taken down from approximately 8.30pm on the evening of February 3 2026 until 6am on February 4 2026, when lists/details were refreshed.”

Ulster Unionist Party leader, and former senior police officer, Jon Burrows told the BBC he understands 41 officers were named on the courts website, and described the situation as “extremely concerning”.

He also said the information is now “out there on WhatsApp going round virally”.

He called for clarity from the Department of Justice.

“This latest incident only heightens the need for robust safeguards to protect those who serve and their families,” he said.

DUP MLA Paul Frew, who chairs the Assembly Justice Committee, called for action to protect officer information.

“The publication of the names of PSNI officers who were already exposed in the 2023 data breach is deeply concerning and will inevitably cause further distress to those affected and their families,” he said.

“While I note the department’s explanation around routine court listings, this situation highlights the very real and ongoing risks faced by police officers in Northern Ireland and the need for the utmost vigilance when handling any information that could identify them.

“There must be robust safeguards in place across all parts of the justice system to ensure that lessons have been learned from previous breaches and that officers’ safety is never inadvertently compromised.

“The Justice Committee will want to be assured that appropriate procedures are being followed and that any necessary changes are made to prevent a recurrence.

“With compensation already set aside totalling some £119 million for the 2023 data breach, we cannot continue to have sensitive data released for either safety or security reasons, or for the cost of compensating such distressing breaches.”