Police Service of Northern Ireland Officers will have to disclose any involvement with secret or cultural organisations such as the Freemasons, Catholic Knights of Columbus or Protestant Orange Order, under Police Reform Commission recommendations.
The measures were announced today by the Commission. The officers will have to declare to the Chief Constable Hugh Orde if they are a member of a group which could call their impartiality into question.
Included in the organisations that officers will have to notify their membership of are the Orange Order, the Apprentice Boys of Derry, Independent Orange Order and the Royal Black Institution.
The Catholic Knights of Columbus and the nationalist Ancient Order of Hibernians are also included as is the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland.