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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Judge considers his verdict in women's legal action over undercover officers | Judge considers his verdict in women's legal action over undercover officers |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The first round of the women's legal action against police chiefs drew to a close on Friday morning. | The first round of the women's legal action against police chiefs drew to a close on Friday morning. |
| The judge hearing the case, Mr Justice Tugendhat, said he would go away and consider his judgment. It is not known how long he will take. | The judge hearing the case, Mr Justice Tugendhat, said he would go away and consider his judgment. It is not known how long he will take. |
| He is deciding whether to approve an application by the police to have the women's legal action struck out of the High Court and shunted over to a little-known, secretive tribunal that usually hears complaints about MI5 (see this for some background). | He is deciding whether to approve an application by the police to have the women's legal action struck out of the High Court and shunted over to a little-known, secretive tribunal that usually hears complaints about MI5 (see this for some background). |
| Ten women and one man have launched a legal action claiming they were tricked into forming deeply personal relationships with the police spies. The women say they were duped into forming long-term, sexual relationships lasting years with undercover officers. | Ten women and one man have launched a legal action claiming they were tricked into forming deeply personal relationships with the police spies. The women say they were duped into forming long-term, sexual relationships lasting years with undercover officers. |
| See here and here for some coverage of last week's proceedings. For a long account of the hearings, read this from researcher and author, Eveline Lubbers. | See here and here for some coverage of last week's proceedings. For a long account of the hearings, read this from researcher and author, Eveline Lubbers. |
| The hearings, spread over two and a bit days, were very dry, and full of pretty tedious legal argument. The barristers spent hours arguing over the meaning of specific words and clauses in an act - the regulation of investigatory powers act 2000 - which in itself is complicated and obtuse. | The hearings, spread over two and a bit days, were very dry, and full of pretty tedious legal argument. The barristers spent hours arguing over the meaning of specific words and clauses in an act - the regulation of investigatory powers act 2000 - which in itself is complicated and obtuse. |
| However the hearings are of crucial, tactical importance in the legal action as a whole. | However the hearings are of crucial, tactical importance in the legal action as a whole. |
| Clearly it would be a significant defeat for the police chiefs if they lose their attempt to have it all moved over to the secretive Investigatory Powers Tribunal. | Clearly it would be a significant defeat for the police chiefs if they lose their attempt to have it all moved over to the secretive Investigatory Powers Tribunal. |
| But what might happen if the judge decided that it should be heard in the High Court? | But what might happen if the judge decided that it should be heard in the High Court? |
| There is a strong chance, you would have thought, that the police chiefs would settle out of court before it was due to be heard in the High Court. | There is a strong chance, you would have thought, that the police chiefs would settle out of court before it was due to be heard in the High Court. |
| As we noted here previously, the question is - do the police chiefs really want to endure the bad publicity of a High Court case in which the heart-breaking stories of the women are recounted day after day? Probably not. | As we noted here previously, the question is - do the police chiefs really want to endure the bad publicity of a High Court case in which the heart-breaking stories of the women are recounted day after day? Probably not. |
| After all, this case is about, as the women say, "one of the most intrusive invasions of privacy imaginable", not turgid arguments about obscure clauses in an obscure act. | After all, this case is about, as the women say, "one of the most intrusive invasions of privacy imaginable", not turgid arguments about obscure clauses in an obscure act. |
| The women have received support from as far away as Berlin - see this report of a demonstration there. | The women have received support from as far away as Berlin - see this report of a demonstration there. |
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