The first list of recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem in Northern
Ireland has been announced today. Introduced in March last year,
The Elizabeth Emblem is a new award to honour those who have died
in the course of public service.
The Emblem is the civilian equivalent to the Elizabeth Cross,
which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in
action or as a result of a terrorist attack.
In only the second ever list of Elizabeth Emblem recipients to be
published, 30 former police officers and one former prison
officer from Northern Ireland have been included.
Their next of kin are awarded the national form of recognition,
which is conferred by His Majesty The King.
Justice Minister has described the award as
important recognition of the ultimate sacrifice made by public
servants who have died in the line of duty.
“I am pleased to see the first recipients of The
Elizabeth Emblem in Northern Ireland named today, with the award
helping to shine a spotlight on and commemorate those who made
the ultimate sacrifice in the course of public service,”
she said.
“It is a poignant reminder that in Northern Ireland we
owe a great debt to those who have sadly lost their lives as a
result of their public service.
“The Elizabeth Emblem is also an important recognition to
families who lost their loved ones prematurely in the line of
duty.
“While families will never be able to replace their loved
ones, The Elizabeth Emblem seeks to pay tribute to the sacrifice
and bravery of those who sought to keep us all safe, despite the
many challenges they encountered during some of the most
difficult years in Northern Ireland.”
Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service Beverley
Wall said: "The Elizabeth Emblem serves as a poignant and
enduring symbol of our profound respect and gratitude for the
ultimate sacrifice made by those killed for serving the community
in Northern Ireland.
“While no award can ever truly heal the pain suffered by our
bereaved families, we hope it offers a measure of comfort in
knowing that their bravery and sacrifice will always be
remembered and honoured by the Northern Ireland Prison Service."
Notes to editors:
1. The term ‘recipient' applies to the next of kin of the public
servants who have died in public service. They will receive the
award on behalf of their deceased loved ones.
2. A person will be eligible to be commemorated with The
Elizabeth Emblem if they died in the course of undertaking
eligible public service. Public service is defined as:
- employment in a role by, on behalf of, or formally funded by,
an eligible body
- working - either in a paid or voluntary capacity - at the
behest of an eligible body, including any person who has a formal
contract or agreement to work for the eligible body or who has
been ordered to provide a service
- working as part of emergency services personnel in a paid or
voluntary capacity, dealing with emergencies either directly or
indirectly as part of their conditions of service
The death of the person to be commemorated will need to have
been directly attributable to the public service in question.
This will include:
- where the death occurred as a direct result of action being
taken in the course of public service
- where the person has been targeted as a result of their
public service role or action, whether on or off duty
- where the person has died as a result of an operational call
out, whether routine or emergency, if responding to the call
resulted in their death
- where the person died as a result of acting to assist in an
emergency situation for which they were trained, even if formally
not on duty at the time
- where the person died as a result of illness or injury
attributed directly to qualifying service
