The PSNI struggles with legacy costs and scrutiny, amid efforts to reform its past and limit disclosure of sensitive security files.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) faces ongoing financial and reputational strain from the legacy of the Troubles, with Police Federation chairman Liam Kelly calling it a "millstone round the neck" of officers. The PSNI spends £20–30 million annually on legacy issues, while a recent Supreme Court ruling upheld the Northern Ireland Secretary’s authority to block disclosure of sensitive security files, citing national security. Kelly criticized the application of modern standards to past events, noting few former officers have been criminally prosecuted, and urged a balanced narrative, highlighting the RUC’s reformation into the PSNI and its receipt of the George Cross. The UK government’s Troubles Bill aims to replace the Legacy Act, which ended police investigations into Troubles-related killings.