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Monday, 1 February 2010

stop and search


Climate protestors this weekend won a major High Court victory against the unlawful police stop and search operation used against protesters at their camp in Kingsnorth, Kent in August 2008.
It had been the largest and most expensive such operation in UK history involving 26 police forces. Led by Kent police, these forces carried out a continuous, systematic and unlawful mass stop and search regime

In the High Court the police accepted an Order that the searches of the three claimants had been 'unlawful', and constituted a violation oftheir human rights to privacy (breach of Article 8 of the EuropeanConvention on Human Rights), to freedom of expression (breach ofArticle 10) and freedom of association (breach of Article 11).

Climate camp legal team have suggested that the 3,500 other searches carried under the same search laws (s1 PACE) would also have been unlawful.. All those searched under such laws can now sue the police and submit claims for damages. Those affected should log on to the climate camp website http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/ to see how to proceed with a claim.

The legal team claim that this case was won despite police efforts to deny there was any systematic stop and search policy. Their ludicrous position collapsed after a key 'smoking gun' document came to light revealing that the police 'bronze commanders' in charge of the operation atKingsnorth were systematically giving briefings for blanket stop and searches.

Three FITwatch defendants who were arrested and imprisoned for four days for photographing the stop and search operation at Kingsnorth are also persuing legal action.



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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The high ranking police officer who decided to conduct a campaign of harrasment, violence and intimidation has not come forward to take the blame or apologise, either to those who had their Human Rights breached, or to the public who had to foot the bill for this monumental waste of money, police time and resources.

I urge all who were searched illegally to go to the link on the Climate Camp website, and sue the police, (you can give any compensation to Climate Camp, or charity.)

Only if this continues to rumble and cost Kent Police money, is it likely the guilty party who gave the order for this operation will come forward and take full responsibility for their cock-up. And if they were given the order by a politician or civil servant then they may come clean and say WHO EXACTLY decided on the course of action they took.

This individual is currently hiding amongst the ranks of 'the police' as a whole, too cowardly to come forward and say why they decided to do what they did.

Until such time, of course, it will be the ordinary cop on the street who is met with increasing distrust and dislike, and may even end up being abused or assaulted as a result of the stupidity of the cowardly cop in high office.

The constable is told by the sergeant, who is told by the inspector, who is told by the superintendent, who is told by the commander (bronze, silver, gold) etc up and up.

So come clean whoever you are, and admit your mistake and explain WHY and on what basis you took the action you did.

Get filing those lawsuits!

1 February 2010 at 13:56

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