London’s High Court dismisses a legal bid by Freemason groups against a police policy requiring officers to declare membership, upholding the measure as proportionate.
LONDON: A UK court has dismissed a legal challenge brought by Freemason groups against a new London police policy requiring officers to declare their membership.
In a 17-page judgement, High Court judge Martin Chamberlain stated the Metropolitan Police’s policy “serves a legitimate aim, maintaining and enhancing public trust in policing, and is proportionate”.
He ruled the grounds for challenge were not “reasonably arguable” and that the policy was not discriminatory or “unduly stigmatising”.
The judge refused permission for a judicial review and denied requests to suspend the disclosure requirement.
The Met welcomed the decision, having been prepared to “robustly defend” the policy.
“Both victims of crime and those reporting wrongdoing must have trust and confidence there is no risk that investigations are tainted by such issues,” said Met Commander Simon Messinger.
“We have prioritised this over any organisation’s desire to maintain secrecy.”
The challenge was brought by the United Grand Lodge of England, the Order of Women Freemasons, the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons, and two serving Met police officers.
Introduced in December, the rule requires all officers and staff to disclose if they are, or have ever been, members of “confidential” societies, specifically naming Freemasonry.
The court heard around 400 officers and staff have so far made declarations.
The claimant groups said they were “disappointed” by the ruling and were “considering further legal options”.
They added they were “pleased” to have received assurances about how declaration data would be securely gathered and held.
At a hearing last week, lawyers for the claimants argued the policy amounted to creating a discriminatory “blacklist”.
“The aim of the Metropolitan Police is to create a blacklist of Freemasons that they will then use to assess risk,” said Claire Darwin, representing them.
Darwin noted the Met’s own policy classifies Freemasonry membership as “low risk”, questioning the sweeping nature of the requirement.
James Berry, for the Met, said the legal challenge was “misconceived” and the suggestion of a blacklist was “plainly wrong”.
He added there was “no evidence” that those who had declared had suffered stigma or workplace discrimination.
The declaration policy followed recommendations from an independent panel, which in 2021 criticised the force’s culture and transparency.
The panel highlighted public concern about undisclosed Masonic membership within police forces, though it did not find systemic corruption linked to Freemasonry.
The Sun Malaysia
