This paper addresses the critical issue of independence in police complaints processes through an evaluation of the work of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. Civilian independence from police in handling complaints against police is widely regarded as essential for public confidence in making complaints and for police accountability more generally. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been widely acclaimed as the closest example internationally of a ‘civilian control’ agency. However, it has been the subject of only limited critique. The aim of this paper is to provide a focused assessment of the performance of the Ombudsman against criteria associated with the civilian control model. Based on available research and reports from the Ombudsman, the main finding is that the Ombudsman appears to have made a valuable contribution to police accountability and better policing in Northern Ireland, primarily through the adoption of key features of the civilian control model. At the same time, some areas of possible improvement were also identified, which could also be applicable in other jurisdictions. These include improving the experiences of complainants, reducing complaints, and coverage of police internal complaints and disclosures.