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UK: Police contempt

01 September 1995

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Police who prevented an accused's solicitor from seeing potential alibi witnesses were in contempt of court, ruled the High Court in July. The accused was charged with murder and told his solicitor that he had spent the night in a doorway in central London with two travellers. In an attempt to trace the two alibi witnesses, the solicitor employed an inquiry agent to go round central London's travellers with a photograph of him to see if any remembered him. Police investigating the murder wanted to hold an identity parade and told the solicitor that she could be committing the offence of obstructing them in the execution of their duty if she went ahead. But the High Court ruled that the police had no right to prevent the solicitors from approaching potential witnesses and so were in contempt of court when they tried to do so by threatening her with criminal charges. Connolly v Dale, Independent 27.7.95.

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