Chris Lyttle MLA said: “Elected representatives are playing politics with the most senior policing role in Northern Ireland.
“The Minister of Justice is discharging his statutory responsibility to set the minimum criteria available to the Policing Board when setting the actual criteria for appointing the Chief Constable.
“The Minister is proposing to change from essential to desirable, the requirement for candidates to have served two years at ACC level or above in another force.
“This was further to a written request from the Policing Board in May 2013 to deal with this issue and followed a consultation process that was carried out.
“It has been proposed in advance of any appointment process, with the aim of enhancing the capacity of the Policing Board and in compliance with equality advice that the existing minimum criteria may be discriminatory.
“The Policing Board Chief Executive has advised that the evidence is that the Minister and Department of Justice have made every reasonable effort for this matter to be considered in an open and consultative manner and has given the Board its rightful place in this process.
“There has been no objective case made to oppose this proposed change.”
ENDS