MASS WALK-OUT AT MITTING INQUIRY

VICTIMS of undercover police units and their lawyers staged a mass walk out during today's hearing of the undercover policing public inquiry calling for the removal of Sir John Mitting as the new judge in charge of the inquiry.  Sir John Mitting has told the inquiry, that victims will be be met with a 'wall of silence' in key parts of the inquiry and is granting anonymity to almost every police officer - so the public inquiry will be held mainly in secret.  This will not be justice. We are not prepared to participate in a process in which the victims are merely window dressing. 

Below and attached is the full transcript of the submission made by Phillipa Kaufman QC, representing over 200 of the 'non-state, non police core participants' in the inquiry including Doreen and Neville Lawrence, women activist who were deceived into relationships with undercover officers, anti-racist campaigners and trade unions. 

Blacklisted workers and the Blacklist support Group have been granted 'core participant status' in the inquiry because of undercover police infiltration of trade unions and were part of the walk out. 

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Blacklist Support Group Statement for Undercover Policing Public Inquiry hearing on Wed 21st March 2018:

'Blacklisted workers who have been kept under surveillance by political policing units were always skeptical about whether the British state investigating itself would truly provide justice.  But under John Mitting, the public inquiry has descended into a good old fashioned establishment cover-up.

'Mitting was put in charge to carry out a job of work on us - and he's doing it.  Time and again he gives the police the benefit of the doubt, to the detriment of those whose lives have been torn apart by this human rights scandal.

'Tinkering around the edges isn't going to change things.  We have no confidence in Mitting.  He must go and needs to be replaced with a panel of experts who have have at least some degree of empathy with the victims and are prepared to question the accounts of undercover police officers who have been trained to lie.'

Dave Smith: core participant in 
'union strand' of public inquiry (21/3/18).

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Blacklist Complainants Object to Inquiry Chair!

Secret Court of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal 

A PACKED meeting in parliament of core participants, other activists and lawyers for those targeted by undercover police voted unanimously for Sir John Mitting to be removed as chair of the public inquiry into undercover policing.  This follows deep unease by those spied on by police about the 'Minded To' Notes published by Mitting on the UCPI website which appear to be heading in the direction of an inquiry held in secret rather than an open transparent and public inquiry.  Mitting is one of the hand picked members of the senior legal profession to sit in the secret court the Investigatory Powers Tribunal - the antithesis of open and transparent justice.

'paradigm shift'

Neville Lawrence told the meeting he and many other victims of undercover police spying had 'lost faith' in the inquiry given the new direction taken by Mitting.

Imran Khan, lawyer for Doreen Lawrence and the Blacklist Support Group told the meeting that there had been a 'paradigm shift' since Mitting took over from the former head of the inquiry Lord Justice Pitchford who was forced to stand down due to ill health. 

The public inquiry was announced 3 years ago by the then Home Secretary Theresa May but to this day not a single witness has given evidence and not a single document disclosed to the lawyers of the victims.  Suresh Grover from the Monitoring Group told the meeting that "the police have deliberated obstructed justice". 

Garrick Club & 'institutional sexism'

Helen Steel argued that his credentials as a member of the men-only Garrick Club meant he was the wrong person to rule on institutional sexism of the undercover police.  A new 'timeline' on the inquiry website fails to mention the public apology made by the Metropolitan Police to the women activists deceived into long term relationships by the police spies.

Stafford Scott, from Tottenham Rights told the meeting that "families of murder victims are being denied access to files kept on them" due to ongoing institutional racism by the Met Police. 

Dave Smith, blacklisted union activist said that victims had "always been sceptical whether the British state would truly expose the truth about the UK's secret political police units". 

The meeting was chaired by Naz Shah MP who said she would raise the concerns on the Home Affairs Select Committee and with the Home Secretary.

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