Judgment coming NOW in the challenge against the Metropolitan Police's ban imposed on the Sarah Everard vigil #reclaimthesestreets
Mr Justice Holgate: This vigil is being organised following the tragic death of Sarah Everard. It's being organised at Clapham Common. Their objective is to hold a vigil safely and lawfully particularly in the context of the pandemic. Two of the claimants are local councillors.
Mr Justice Holgate: The event the court understands is supported by Lambeth Council, the local authority. The initial engagement with the police appeared to be positive and there was a plan to meet yesterday to work out how to hold the vigil safely.
Judge: But the Met Police then said their hands were tied and the vigil would be illegal under coronavirus regulations, organisers could be fined £10k and face arrest under the Serious Crime Act.
Judge: The objective of the [legal action] is to ask the court to that the police need to take into account the Human Rights Act and specifically the rights to free speech and free assembly before they ban the vigil.
The judge says the Met Police's "Operation Pima" document summarises the covid regulations and the police's role in enforcing the 2021 lockdown. It states that gatherings for protests are not exempt from the lockdown and will need to be dealt with.
Mr Justice Holgate: It's important to note that the court is not being asked to grant an injunction against the police. The question is whether the police changed their stance without considering the right to protest.
BREAKING: Mr Justice Holgate refuses to intervene in the challenge against the Metropolitan Police's ban imposed on the Sarah Everard vigil in London.
Mr Justice Holgate did seem to leave the door open: "Given what has happened in the hearing there may well be further communication between the claimants & the police to deal with the application of the regulations [& the right to protest] to this particular event."
"But that is not a matter on which the court should comment," said the judge.
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