HN102
This article is part of the Undercover Research Portal at Powerbase - investigating corporate and police spying on activists
HN102 is the cipher given to a former undercover officer with the Special Demonstration Squad. They were deployed into anarchist groups in the 1980s.
Sir John Mitting, Chair of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, has ruled the Inquiry will restrict the real and cover names in the Inquiry on heath grounds.[1][2]
- For the N cipher system see N officers page.
As an SDS undercover officer
In the Undercover Public Inquiry
- 19 April 2018: directed that any application to be filed by 24 April 2018 by MPS legal team, or 27 April for the Designated Lawyers team.[3]
- HN102 is in his 50s. He was deployed against anarchist groups in the 1980s. The risk, if any, which they might pose to his safety cannot be assessed, because no risk assessment has been undertaken. After his retirement from the police, on health grounds (unrelated to his deployment), two craniotomies were performed in the late 1990s. The second led to a stroke which has caused permanent right-sided physical disabilities and some mental impairment, including difficulties of recall and concentration. He also suffers from moderate depression. In the opinion of Professor Fox, a consultant psychiatrist, the stress of being required to provide or give evidence would cause his anxiety to increase which would cause a deterioration in his cognition. He questions his reliability as a witness.
- Participation in the Inquiry, in any form, would interfere with the right of HN102 to respect for his private life. I have considered whether publication of his cover name might prompt others who knew him during his deployment to provide or give evidence about it. In the opinion of Prof Fox, disclosure of his cover identity would cause a deterioration in his cognition and potentially his depression. In ProfessorFox's non-expert opinion on this issue, the stress which would result might put him at risk of future strokes. It is not necessary to obtain the opinion of a physician on this issue. It is clear that publication of his cover name would also interfere with the right of HN102 o respect or his private life. It is likely, although not yet certain, that contemporaneous reporting of intelligence on the groups against which he was deployed exists which might prompt members of them to give evidence about their activities, as reported. The outcome is likely to be imperfect, but that likelihood does not justify the interference in HN 102 is right to respect for his private life which would be occasioned by publication of his real or cover name, under Article 8(2) ECHR.
- 9 July 2018: provisional decision to restrict real and cover names.[5] and gist of application and medical evidence published.[6][7] It was also directed that any objections to Mitting's intention to grant the restriction order to be made by 20 July 2018.[8]
- 30 July 2018: final ruling that real and cover name cannot be published.[1]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 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 12 and Ruling 10, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 30 July 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 'Minded to' decisions relating to anonymity applications: Special Demonstration Squad Ruling on HN122, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 23 May 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 Demonstrations Squad: Directions, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 19 April 2018.
- ↑ Applications for restriction orders in respect of the real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstrations Squad 'Minded to' note 9 and Ruling 8, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 23 May 2018.
- ↑ Publication of documents relating to anonymity applications: National Public Order Intelligence Unit & Special Demonstration Squad, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 9 July 2018.
- ↑ List of documents relating to SOS officers - published 09 July 2018, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 9 July 2018.
- ↑ HN102 Gist of Application and Prof Fox report, Undercover Research Group, 2018, published 9 July 2018 via ucpi.org.uk.
- ↑ Sir John Mitting, Applications for restriction orders in respect of real and cover names of officers of the Special Operations Squad and the Special Demonstration Squad and of the National Public Order Intelligence Unit - Directions, Undercover Policing Inquiry, 9 July 2018.
