Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA has welcomed today's High Court ruling that Police Ombudsman public statements alleging "collusive behaviour" by RUC officers must now carry a formal notice acknowledging that the Ombudsman exceeded her legal powers.

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA, commenting on today's High Court ruling, said:

"This is a very significant judgment with major implications for how legacy is being handled in Northern Ireland, and it is another indictment of the competence and judgment of the former Police Ombudsman.

"The High Court has confirmed what retired officers have been saying for years, that the former Police Ombudsman acted beyond her legal powers and made findings of 'collusion' and 'collusive behaviour' that were legally impermissible and beyond her statutory remit.

"The job of the Ombudsman is to investigate allegations, not to make determinations of guilt. The organisation is an investigatory body, not an adjudicatory one.

"Today's judgment is a victory for fairness and for the brave men and women of the RUC, and a slap-down of the repeated attempts to sully their reputation by legally impermissible determinations.

"Every legacy report produced on this flawed basis now stands under a serious legal shadow, and public confidence in the Ombudsman's office has been badly damaged. The court has effectively required a disclaimer to be added to all the relevant legacy reports.

"I pay tribute to the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association for their determination in pursuing this case. I reiterate our party's call for fundamental reform of the Police Ombudsman, and on a broader level for an end to the incessant rewriting of history."