HN126
This article is part of the Undercover Research Portal at Powerbase - investigating corporate and police spying on activists
HN126 is the cipher given to a former undercover officer with the Special Demonstration Squad. In June 2019, it was released that his cover name had been Paul Gray, and that he had infiltrated the Socialist Workers Party and Anti-Nazi League from 1977 to 1982.[1]
His real and cover names are being restricted for the purposes of the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
- For details of the N-numbers cipher system see the N officers page.
+++++ Last Updated October 2020 +++++
In the Undercover Policing Inquiry
- 11 May 2018: directed any anonymity applications were to be filed by 31 May 2018 for both the MPS legal team and the Designated Lawyers team.[2]
- 28 May 2018: anonymity application made.[3]
- 21 June 2018: Mitting is minded to restrict real name but refuses application over cover name,[4] stating:[5]
- HN126 is a septuagenarian who was deployed into two groups in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The deployment included activities which must be investigated publicly to permit the Inquiry to fulfil its terms of reference. To permit that to occur, the cover name of HN126 must be published, to afford members of the target groups the opportunity to give evidence about the deployment and its effects. None of the members of the targeted groups pose any risk to the safety of HN126, even if publication of the cover name were to lead to discovery of the real name and whereabouts of HN126, which is far from certain. The risk of harassment is negligible. The worst consequence likely to be faced by HN126 is unwelcome media attention.The risk of that occurring is a price which must be paid to permit the Inquiry to get at the truth.
- Publication of the real name of HN126 is not necessary o permit the Inquiry to fulfil its terms of reference. It would cause anxiety and stress to HN126 and the family of HN126 and would interfere with their right to respect for private and family life. It would not be justified under Article 8(2) of the European Convention.
- A closed note accompanies these reasons.
- Mitting on the same day issued a directions which stated of HN126:[6][7]
- I am minded to refuse all or part of the application, the applicant should provide notification that they wish to be heard in a closed hearing by 4pm on Tuesday 26 June 2018 with any written skeleton argument setting out their objections to be provided by 4pm on Friday 29 June 2018.
- 30 July 2018: Explanatory Note from Counsel wrote:[8]
- The office was permitted an opportunity to respond to the Chairman's Minded To decision to restrict real name but to refuse to restrict cover name but did not pursue the application so the minded to decision on cover name is the final ruling. Cover name will be published. An open application will need to be published to permit [Non State/Police Core Participants] to respond.
- 13 September 2018: the situation remained unchanged, with cover name still to be released.[9]
- 25 June 2019: cover name, target groups and dates of deployment released by the Inquiry.[1]
- 24 July 2019: open application for anonymity released with directions for objections to be made by 29 August 2019.[10]
- 29 October 2019: Mitting grants a restriction order over the officers real name.[11] The Restriction order was made public on 23 October 2020.[12][13]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Email to core participants, '20190625-UCPI_to_all_CPs-HN126_cover_name', Undercover Policing Inquiry, 25 June 2018, referencing update of the webpage UCPI.org.u/cover-names.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstrations Squad: Directions, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 11 May 2018.
- ↑ Open application for a restriction order (anonymity) re: HN126, Metropolitan Police Service, 28 May 2018, open version made public by Undercover Policing Inquiry on 24 July 2019.
- ↑ Press notice - 'Minded to' decisions relating to anonymity applications: Special Demonstration Squad, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 21 June 2018.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad - 'Minded To' Note 11, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 21 June 2018.
- ↑ Counsel to the Inqury's Explanatory Note to accompany the Chairman's 'Minded To' Note 9 and Ruling 8 in respect of applications for restrictions over the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and Special Demonstration Squad: Update as at 21 June 2018, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 21 June 2018.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad - Directions following publication of 'Minded to' note 11, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 21 June 2018.
- ↑ Kate Wilkinson, Counsel to the Inquiry's Explanatory Note to accompany the Chairman's 'Minded To' Note 12 in respect of applications for restrictions over the real and cover name of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad - Update as at 30 July 2018, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 30 July 2018.
- ↑ Kate Wilkinson, Counsel to the Inquiry's Explanatory Note to accompany the Chairman's 'Minded-To' Note 12 in respect of applications for restrictions over the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad, Undercover Public Inquiry, 13 September 2018.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Restriction Order Applications by HN78, HN126 and HN296, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 24 July 2019.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, [1], Undercover Policing Inquiry, 29 October 2019.
- ↑ Email to core participants, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 23 October 2020.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Restriction Order - HN126, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 29 October 2019 (published on ucpi.org.uk 23 October 2020).
