Just to pause there: there is a reasonably possibility a criminal investigation is taking place into an event which took place in the Prime Minister's flat.
The 2nd point (b) which sets my lawyer's senses tingling is that Gray is keeping her investigation's documents securely *away from the government". This is a constitutional mess and a half and shows problem of using an internal report to do job of an independent investigation
Actually, I have reread this para and it is not as ambiguous as I thought it was "the events on the date set out above*. Obvious enough that the gathering in the Prime Minister's flat is being investigated by the police.
Questions to ask the PM: 1. Do you accept the findings 2. If you accept the findings, which events should not have taken place 3. Are you under direct police investigation 4. Will you make public any fixed penalty notices you are given
The Prime Minister just confirmed to Parliament that the event in his flat on 13 November 2020 is being investigated by the police.
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The PM is now reported as being at 6 parties:
🥳20.5.20 BYOB
🥳19.6.20 PM birthday
🥳13.11.20 Lee Cain leaving
🥳13.11.20 No.10 flat
🥳17.12.20 Capt Steve Higham leaving
🥳14.1.21 Private secs leaving
What possible enforcement could the police use?
But generally that applies when they come across breaches, as Cressida Dick says it is unusual for them to enforce retrospectively.
I understand from @kirkkorner that there are some examples, especially early in the pandemic, of police going straight to charging with a criminal offence. But in most cases they try a Fixed Penalty Notice first.
Another possibility is that arrests have been or are about to be made, in which case "proceedings" have begun under the Contempt of Court Act?
I suppose we will see what the story is - I wouldn't assume a "cover up" but it is possible (a) that police have evidence of more serious offences than under coronavirus regulations, (b) they are being super cautious in the context of a sensitive politicised investigation
I am not a criminal lawyer so perhaps I am missing something. How would a factual civil service report about events the police is investigating "prejudice" their investigation?
It is absolutely normal for concerns to be raised about prejudice to a criminal *trial*. That is due to a concern that the jury will be influenced by press coverage and not be sufficiently objective (so we have special rules about jury trials and press coverage).
But the police don't, as far as I am aware, ask journalists not to report on ongoing *investigations* and often media will report on the factual circumstances surrounding a police investigation, then clam up once a charge has been brought.
I read articles like this and it feels like there is a genuine rewriting of history going on - *I* didn't turn social activity into a criminal offence, it was the government - the same government who told us every day the rules were not trivial, they were deadly serious... 1/3
... and the rules may have been inconsistent, or at times difficult to understand, and god knows I tried to help people with that, but 170,000+ people died and millions were infected with a potentially deadly virus. For anyone now to say, in a nakedly self-interested... 2/3
... attempt to build political cover, that this wasn't actually very serious, and it was trivial for those making the rules to also flagrantly and repeatedly breach them, and conceal those breaches, is an insult to the rule of law and obvious rewriting of history. 3/3
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has changed its policy on trans rights - no longer supporting major changes to the Gender Recognition Act to de-medicalise the process. Says further research needed but does not explain what further research is needed to justify reform
Also does not explain on what evidential basis aside from “concerns” it has changed its position so significantly from its 2018 response to the GRA consultation.
Obviously it is correct that the debate around this issue is polarised but the EHRC should set out its full reasoning for this change in policy given its 2018 consultation response was itself detailed and evidenced equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/bl…