Inquiry hearing set to discuss privacy issues and potential reporting restrictions

The Undercover Policing Inquiry will hold a hearing on 12 April 2024 to seek views on the Inquiry’s approach to applications for reporting restriction orders from Tranche 2 non-state core participants.

Disclosure of the documents which formed part of the Tranche 2 hearing bundle to the Inquiry’s non-police non-state core participants (and witnesses) commenced in the Spring of 2023. Subsequently non-state core participants and their recognised legal representatives have raised concerns regarding the very personal and private nature of some of the information contained within the documents.

As a result of privacy applications being invited, a hearing has been listed for 12 April to consider implementing reporting restrictions. Ahead of the hearing, the Counsel to the Inquiry has published a note regarding applications for restricted reporting of inquiry evidential hearings.

Submissions for the hearing have already been invited from state core participants and the media. These are being sent to the Inquiry by no later than Wednesday 3 April 2024.

The hearing will be live-streamed on the Inquiry’s website commencing at 10:00 on 12 April 2024.

The Inquiry intends that documents from the hearing bundle will be published during and after the Tranche 2 hearings, insofar as it is possible to do so, and with appropriate redactions in place to give effect to privacy rights.