PSNI staff paid almost £40m in data breach compensation

Almost £40 million pounds has been paid out in compensation to more than 5,000 police officers and civilian staff impacted by a 2023 data breach, according to a Belfast law firm.

Edwards Solicitors said they were each paid compensation of £7,500 following their acceptance of the "universal offer" made by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The law firm added "several hundred claims remain ongoing for those who chose not to accept the universal offer".

The breach involved the accidental release of some personal details of all 9,400 PSNI personnel.

In December, Stormont ministers agreed to ring fence £119m to compensate police officers and civilian staff.

Rachel Powderly from Edwards Solicitors described the legal action as "massive and unprecedented".

"We dealt with more than 5,000 clients in this action and reaching a resolution to the satisfaction of our clients was and is our sole priority," she said.

"The case was groundbreaking and we are not aware of any previous group action of this nature and magnitude in Northern Ireland, or indeed the UK."

Powderly said that the prospect of dealing with the claims on a case-by-case basis was "neither realistic nor practical", but added that this would have prolonged matters for years with "no guarantee of outcomes".