Legal representation

Ruling 37

Note to accompany ruling

In June 2021 the Metropolitan Police Service Designated Lawyers filed a claim for judicial review, challenging:

• the Chairman’s decisions that he had no implied power to appoint a Litigation Friend or Inquiry Friend to act on behalf of HN303; and
• his subsequent refusal to make such an appointment on the basis this was not required as a matter of fairness.

On receipt of the claim, the Chairman reviewed his earlier decisions and withdrew them. He agreed to make an order appointing an Inquiry Friend to act on behalf of HN303 and confirmed that he will make such an order in connection with any further members of the Designated Lawyer Core Participant Group who lose capacity during the course of the Inquiry. The claim was withdrawn by consent in July 2021, but delays in the Administrative Court meant the final Order was not received until December 2021. A subsequent application to appoint an Inquiry Friend for HN67 was submitted by the Designated Lawyers and agreed by the Chairman. The applicable ruling has now been published. Applications for the identities of the appointed Inquiry Friends for both HN67 and HN303 were submitted on 7 January 2022. The Chairman has agreed to restrict the identities and the relevant rulings and orders have now been published.