Support Our Work Mailing list About / Contact
  • Home /
  • News /
  • 2016 /
  • March /
  • UNDERCOVER POLICING: Spycops inquiry: ‘If it’s in secret, it’s dead in the water’

UNDERCOVER POLICING: Spycops inquiry: ‘If it’s in secret, it’s dead in the water’

18 March 2016

Support our work: become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

"As this is a public inquiry, it follows that the starting point must be open proceedings, with minimal restrictions, fully justified on a case by case basis. Those who were spied upon deserve answers. The Inquiry was ordered to help address the loss of public confidence in the police resulting from serious misconduct in undercover operations. If it appears to be a cover-up, the Inquiry will only increase the concerns it was called to address."

See: Spycops inquiry: ‘If it’s in secret, it’s dead in the water’ (The Justice Gap, link)

The article makes clear the need for openness and transparency a the forthcoming Pitchford Inquiry, at which the police are hoping to be allowed to maintain their practice of "neither confirming nor denying" the existence of particular information, and for secret hearings to take place. The Police Spies Out of Lives group are asking people to support calls for transparency: Public asking Police to come clean ahead of hearing next week (Police Spies Out of Lives, link): "People are showing their solidarity to those fighting to keep the public inquiry PUBLIC, and asking the police to COME CLEAN over abuses. To do this, they are sharing photos of themselves on social media.

This is response to the call out by Cardiff against Police Spies and is in the lead up to the Inquiry Preliminary hearing and demo next week."

And: a long piece from Australia: Helen Steel and John Dines: The spy who loved me (The Sydney Morning Herald, link)

Our work is only possible with your support.
Become a Friend of Statewatch from as little as £1/€1 per month.

 Previous article

USA: RENDITION AND TORTURE: The U.S. Government Is Still Fighting to Bury the Senate Torture Report

Next article 

EU-TURKEY DEAL: "On the edge of international law" - or against it?

 

Spotted an error? If you've spotted a problem with this page, just click once to let us know.

Report error

Statewatch does not have a corporate view, nor does it seek to create one, the views expressed are those of the author. Statewatch is not responsible for the content of external websites and inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement. Registered UK charity number: 1154784. Registered UK company number: 08480724. Registered company name: The Libertarian Research & Education Trust. Registered office: MayDay Rooms, 88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH. © Statewatch ISSN 1756-851X. Personal usage as private individuals "fair dealing" is allowed. We also welcome links to material on our site. Usage by those working for organisations is allowed only if the organisation holds an appropriate licence from the relevant reprographic rights organisation (eg: Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK) with such usage being subject to the terms and conditions of that licence and to local copyright law.

About | Contact | Privacy Policy