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| Convictions of 83 political campaigners in doubt over undercover police failings | Convictions of 83 political campaigners in doubt over undercover police failings |
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| The criminal convictions of another 83 political campaigners could be overturned because the involvement of undercover police was hidden from their trials, an official review has revealed. | The criminal convictions of another 83 political campaigners could be overturned because the involvement of undercover police was hidden from their trials, an official review has revealed. |
| The home secretary, Theresa May, said the safety of the convictions was causing concern and described the withholding of crucial evidence by undercover police as an “appalling practice”. | The home secretary, Theresa May, said the safety of the convictions was causing concern and described the withholding of crucial evidence by undercover police as an “appalling practice”. |
| The report by Mark Ellison QC showed that the undercover officers had operated in such tight secrecy that they routinely concealed their activities from prosecutors and other police officers. | The report by Mark Ellison QC showed that the undercover officers had operated in such tight secrecy that they routinely concealed their activities from prosecutors and other police officers. |
| Ellison found that undercover officers deployed to infiltrate political groups had appeared in trials using their false personas, deceived lawyers about their true identities and allowed evidence they knew to be false to be presented in court by prosecutors. | Ellison found that undercover officers deployed to infiltrate political groups had appeared in trials using their false personas, deceived lawyers about their true identities and allowed evidence they knew to be false to be presented in court by prosecutors. |
| In recent years, 57 environmental protesters have had their convictions quashed or prosecutions against them dropped because key evidence gathered by undercover officers was concealed from their trials. | In recent years, 57 environmental protesters have had their convictions quashed or prosecutions against them dropped because key evidence gathered by undercover officers was concealed from their trials. |
| The new cases of potentially unjust convictions came to light on Thursday as May announced details of the remit of a public inquiry into undercover infiltration of political groups since 1968. | |
| She said the inquiry into the failings of the undercover police – to be headed by Lord Justice Pitchford – is expected to be completed within three years. | She said the inquiry into the failings of the undercover police – to be headed by Lord Justice Pitchford – is expected to be completed within three years. |
| May set up the inquiry following a series of revelations which included how undercover officers had spied on the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence and other grieving families, and formed long-term relationships with female campaigners. | May set up the inquiry following a series of revelations which included how undercover officers had spied on the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence and other grieving families, and formed long-term relationships with female campaigners. |
| The inquiry will scrutinise how the undercover officers “targeted individuals and groups such as political and social justice campaigners” during deployments that typically lasted five years, she said. | The inquiry will scrutinise how the undercover officers “targeted individuals and groups such as political and social justice campaigners” during deployments that typically lasted five years, she said. |
| Pitchford will “examine the motivation for, and the scope of, undercover police operations in practice and their effect upon individuals in particular and the public in general”, she added. | Pitchford will “examine the motivation for, and the scope of, undercover police operations in practice and their effect upon individuals in particular and the public in general”, she added. |
| The inquiry will also look at the oversight and regulation of the undercover operations, and how much ministers and Whitehall officials knew about the covert missions. | The inquiry will also look at the oversight and regulation of the undercover operations, and how much ministers and Whitehall officials knew about the covert missions. |
| May said the inquiry will also scrutinise the convictions of campaigners to see if they should be quashed, as the independent report she had commissioned from Ellison was released. | May said the inquiry will also scrutinise the convictions of campaigners to see if they should be quashed, as the independent report she had commissioned from Ellison was released. |
| Ellison said that sometimes the undercover officers had been working in their secret role when activists they were infiltrating had been arrested and later prosecuted. However, the undercover police knew that parts of the prosecution case against the activists were false but did not alert the court. | Ellison said that sometimes the undercover officers had been working in their secret role when activists they were infiltrating had been arrested and later prosecuted. However, the undercover police knew that parts of the prosecution case against the activists were false but did not alert the court. |
| On other occasions, the undercover spies were arrested and prosecuted but appeared in court using their fake identities. | On other occasions, the undercover spies were arrested and prosecuted but appeared in court using their fake identities. |
| Ellison said that inevitably the spies deceived other police officers who had made the arrests, prosecutors as well as the lawyers representing the campaigners who were being prosecuted. | |
| He added that the undercover officers gathered evidence in prosecutions of campaigners but failed to disclose it to prosecutors as the legal rules governing fair trials required. | |
| The QC said that at least 26 officers had been arrested in their undercover roles on 53 occasions, but gave no details. | The QC said that at least 26 officers had been arrested in their undercover roles on 53 occasions, but gave no details. |
| May, who said Ellison’s report had “shone a spotlight on this police tactic”, has set up a panel, consisting of senior prosecutors and police, to continue examining possible miscarriages of justice. | May, who said Ellison’s report had “shone a spotlight on this police tactic”, has set up a panel, consisting of senior prosecutors and police, to continue examining possible miscarriages of justice. |
| No details of the 83 new cases were published by Ellison, who said they were being examined by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the official agency that looks at potential wrongful convictions. | No details of the 83 new cases were published by Ellison, who said they were being examined by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the official agency that looks at potential wrongful convictions. |
| “No decisions have been made by the CCRC or the CPS as to whether they should be referred to the courts. Nevertheless the cases provide some further insight as to the types of issues being raised, and the spectrum of behaviour of concern to the safety of convictions.” | “No decisions have been made by the CCRC or the CPS as to whether they should be referred to the courts. Nevertheless the cases provide some further insight as to the types of issues being raised, and the spectrum of behaviour of concern to the safety of convictions.” |
| Ellison made it clear that there were a large number of convictions where he could not identify if they were unjust, because the records of the undercover operations were no longer available. | Ellison made it clear that there were a large number of convictions where he could not identify if they were unjust, because the records of the undercover operations were no longer available. |
| He quotes one senior undercover officer who said: “We did our best to make it difficult for anyone to understand/reveal our work”, and another saying : “We were part of a ‘black operation’ that absolutely no one knew about and only the police had actually agreed that this was all OK.” | He quotes one senior undercover officer who said: “We did our best to make it difficult for anyone to understand/reveal our work”, and another saying : “We were part of a ‘black operation’ that absolutely no one knew about and only the police had actually agreed that this was all OK.” |
| Some individuals and groups who were spied on by the undercover police welcomed the scope of the inquiry, but warned that it must not be a whitewash. | Some individuals and groups who were spied on by the undercover police welcomed the scope of the inquiry, but warned that it must not be a whitewash. |