The Irish Association hosted their annual Spring Lunch in the Maldron Hotel, Belfast on Saturday 9th May. 

Following lunch we were pleased to be joined by Emily Logan, Police Ombudsman in Ireland, who talked about her role and work as Police Ombudsman and reflected on her career to date. Emily Logan was appointed Police Ombudsman on 2 April 2025 by President Michael D. Higgins, following an open competition and resolutions of both Houses of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament). She is independent in her statutory functions for which she accounts directly to the Oireachtas.

Emily is Adjunct Full Professor in University College Dublin Sutherland School of Law and Adjunct in University College Cork School of Law. She serves on the Board of the Independent Police Complaints Authorities Network (Council of Europe) and Independent Panel of the FIFA Foundation Safe Football Support Unit (Global). Prior to her appointment as Police Ombudsman, Emily Logan served as Commissioner of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission for four years, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission for five years and was Ireland's first Ombudsman for Children for eleven years. She has worked in leadership roles in Ireland, the UK and Council of Europe: as Chair of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions, on the Executive of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions and as Chair of the European Network of Ombudsman for Children.