2 Oct 2018
Nine officers who have applied for restriction orders over their identity have had their supporting documents published today by the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
All nine have asked for anonymity over either their real name, or both their real and
cover names.
Based on their applications, the Inquiry Chairman Sir John Mitting previously issued ‘minded to’ notes setting out his provisional decisions.
The officer’s nominal, restriction orders sought, and the Chairman’s provisional decision were:
On this occasion, an additional redaction has been made to HN30’s gisted risk assessment (on page 4) at the request of a core participant.
| Operation Herne Nominal | Restriction order sought | Chairman’s provisional decision | Date of minded to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HN4 | Real and cover name | To restrict the real and cover name | 21 June 2018 (PDF, 221KB) and 30 July 2018 (PDF, 178KB) |
| HN13 | Real name only. Cover name “Desmond/Barry Loader” has already been published | To restrict the real name | 15 January 2018 (PDF, 724KB) |
| HN25 | “Real and cover name. Cover name “”Kevin Douglas”” has already been published” | To restrict the real name | 7 March 2018 (PDF, 349KB) |
| HN30 | Real name only | To restrict the real name | 21 June 2018 (PDF, 221KB) |
| HN33 | Real and cover name. Cover name “Kathryn Lesley “Lee” Bonser” has already been published. | To restrict the real name | 22 March 2018 (PDF, 415KB) |
| HN82 | Real name only. Cover name “Nicholas Green” has already been published | To restrict the real name | 7 March 2018 (PDF, 349KB) |
| HN96 | Real and cover name. Cover name “Michael James” has already been published. | To restrict the real name | 7 March 2018 (PDF, 349KB) |
| HN200 | Real name only. Cover name “Roger Harris” has already been published. | To restrict the real name | 22 March 2018 (PDF, 415KB) |
| HN304 | Real name only. Cover name “Graham Coates” has already been published. | To restrict the real name | 15 January 2018 (PDF, 724KB) |
The Chairman now invites any written submissions (PDF, 128KB) in respect of his ‘minded to’ decision from core participants and the media by 4pm on 23 October 2018.
Why anonymity is sometimes needed
This Inquiry aims to be as open and transparent as possible and so far the names of 60 officers have been published.
However, to discover the truth about undercover policing, in some cases, evidence will need to be heard by the Inquiry without members of the public or some core participants being present at the hearing.
This can be because:
- Some non-state core participants – sometimes people who have been deceived into relationships with officers – want their privacy respected.
- Exposure of identities could put individuals at a present and ongoing serious risk of injury, or in extreme cases, death.
- Revealing identities could damage individuals or their family’s private life, and contravene their human rights.
In these cases, anonymity can be granted by the Chairman through a restriction order, which is a protective measure under the Inquiries Act 2005.
The directions, rulings and orders webpage contains copies of any restriction orders made. Copies of the open versions of the anonymity applications are also on the website.
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
- Decisions on anonymity applications are taken in line with the 3 May 2016 Legal Principles and Approach Ruling (PDF, 583KB).
- The Undercover Policing Inquiry is constituted under the Inquiries Act 2005 (PDF, 207KB).
- The Inquiry’s terms of reference were announced by the Home Secretary on 16 July 2015.
- The Inquiry’s FAQs provide more information on the Inquiry more generally, as do its published update notes.
- The Inquiry’s website is www.ucpi.org.uk and the Inquiry can be found on Twitter @ucpinquiry
For further information please contact the Inquiry on:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07766 524224