15 May 2018

The Chairman of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, Sir John Mitting, is today publishing his Ruling (PDF, 2MB) on anonymity applications made in respect of 18 former Special Demonstration Squad Officers (PDF, 243KB). This ruling follows the hearing held on 9 May 2018 and the submissions received in advance of that hearing.

The Chairman has decided that:

  • Five officers (HN35, HN300, HN331, HN332 and HN338) who have made ‘real name only’ applications will have their real names restricted.
  • 10 officers have already had their cover names published: HN45 (‘David Robertson’), HN56 (‘Alan ‘Nick’ Nicholson’), HN77 (‘Jaqueline Anderson’), HN79 (‘Ross ‘RossCo’ MacInnes’), HN118 (‘Simon Wellings’), HN298 (‘Michael Scott’), HN334 (‘Margaret White’), HN339 (‘Stewart Goodman’), HN345 (‘Peter Fredericks’) and HN356/124 (‘Bill Biggs’). Their real names will be restricted.
  • Three officers, HN83, HN302 and HN349 will have both the real and cover names restricted.

All rulings on anonymity applications are made by following the legal principles established in May 2016 (PDF, 583KB); the reasons for decisions in respect of the above officers are found in today’s Ruling.

Background

The purpose of the Undercover Policing Inquiry is to investigate and report on undercover police operations conducted by English and Welsh police forces in England and Wales since 1968.

The Inquiry will examine the contribution undercover policing has made to tackling crime, how it was and is supervised and regulated, and its effect on individuals involved – both police officers and others who came into contact with them.

The work of the Inquiry ranges across the full scope of undercover policing work and will look at the work of the Special Demonstration Squad, the National Public Order Intelligence Unit and police forces in England and Wales. The Inquiry will also examine whether people may have been wrongly convicted in cases involving undercover police officers, and refer any such cases to a separate panel for consideration.

The Inquiry’s investigations are broken down into modules. The descriptions of modules Two and Three have been amended to spell out more clearly the Inquiry’s investigative intentions.

One

Examination of the deployment of undercover officers in the past, their conduct, and the impact of their activities on themselves and others.

Two

Examination of the management and oversight of undercover officers, including their selection, training, supervision, care after the end of an undercover deployment and the legal and regulatory framework within which undercover policing is carried out. Module Two (a) will involve managers and administrators from within undercover policing units. Module Two (b) will involve senior managers higher in the chain of command as well as police personnel who handled intelligence provided by undercover police officers. Module Two (c) will involve a number of other government bodies with a connection to undercover policing, including the Home Office.

Three

Examination of current undercover policing practices and of how undercover policing should be conducted in future.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Decisions on anonymity applications are taken in line with the 3 May 2016 Legal Principles and Approach Ruling (PDF, 583KB)
2. The Undercover Policing Inquiry is constituted under the Inquiries Act 2005 (PDF, 207KB)
3. The Inquiry’s terms of reference were announced by the Home Secretary on 16 July 2015
4. The Inquiry’s Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 96KB) document provides more information on the Inquiry more generally, as do its published update notes
5. The Inquiry’s website is www.ucpi.orq.uk and the Inquiry can be found on Twitter @ucpinquiry.

For further information please contact the Inquiry’s Head of Communications, Jo Coles:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 07827 818 460