Spycops Public Inquiry Finally Begins

The public inquiry into Britain’s political secret police is, at long last, about to start.

Nearly seven years after the Home Secretary promised it, the first phase of Undercover Policing Inquiry hearings will take place over three weeks, starting on Monday 2 November.

The Inquiry will examine the actions of around 140 officers lived deep undercover as activists in political groups since 1968. These first hearings cover the earliest period, from 1968-72.

Because of measures to restrict the spread of Covid-19, the hearings will not be held in an open venue, but will instead be happening virtually.

The first few days will be spent hearing opening statements from the various parties involved. These will be live-streamed by the Inquiry. It’s presumed it will be linked from their evidence and hearings page, possibly on their YouTube channel.

After that, from Wednesday 11 November, the hearings will be taking evidence from witnesses. These hearings will not be live-streamed. Instead, there will be a live transcription with a ten-minute time delay.

From that point on, the Inquiry is hiring a venue – the Amba Hotel in Marble Arch, central London – where up to 60 people can watch a video stream, with a ten-minute time delay on what they’re allowed to mention to the outside world. In order to be present, people had to register their interest with the Inquiry before 23 October, going through the whole process for each day they want to attend, and even then registration does not guarantee entry. It’s just another of the Inquiry’s needless obstructions that we’ve grown used to over the years of preparation.

You can see the detailed schedule of the hearings, listing who’s speaking when, on the Inquiry website and on the COPS events calendar.

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE UNDERCOVER POLICING INQUIRY?

The Inquiry intends to post full transcriptions and audio files as soon as possible after a hearing has finished. At preliminary hearings, transcriptions have been published either the same evening or next morning, so we can expect something similar for the evidential hearings.

In addition to the official channels, COPS and others who represent victims of spycops will be providing coverage. On our Twitter account we will be live-tweeting the hearings (using the hashtag #SpyCopsInquiry), and providing background information and sources for topics under discussion.

We’ll also be posting daily summaries of the hearings on our Facebook page and here on our blog. We will also do a weekly update on the blog, or you can get them direct by subscribing to our email newsletter in the box at the bottom of the sidebar on this page.

There will be a socially distanced demonstration outside the Amba Hotel on the first day of the Inquiry’s restricted hearings, Wednesday 11 November, from 8-9am.

Before that, join us on Monday 2 November, the opening day of the hearings, for an online protest to make your voice heard. Take to social media, share your placards and pictures, your memories of campaigns and the spycops who infiltrated them, your hopes and fears for the Inquiry.

Show the Inquiry and the abusers it’s examining that we are watching and that we demand truth and justice.

HOW ARE THE SPYCOPS INQUIRY HEARINGS ORGANISED?

The first ‘tranche’ of hearings is taking evidence about the activities of the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) from its formation in 1968 to 1982. The tranche has, in turn, been broken into three phases.

Phase 1 evidence will cover 1968-72. These are the hearings in the upcoming session from 2-19 November.

Phase 2 will examine the SDS from 1973 to 1982. These evidence hearings are expected to start on 25 January 2021.

In Phase 3, the Inquiry will hear from SDS managers 1968-1982. Dates for phase 3 haven’t been suggested yet.

The subsequent tranches will examine:

• Tranche 2 – Special Demonstration Squad officers and managers and those affected by deployments (1983-1992)

• Tranche 3 – Special Demonstration Squad officers and managers and those affected by deployments (1993-2007)

• Tranche 4 – National Public Order Intelligence Unit officers and managers and those affected by deployments

• Tranche 5 – Other undercover policing officers and managers and those affected by deployments

• Tranche 6 – Management and oversight (including of intelligence dissemination) by mid and senior rank officers, other agencies and government departments

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

For further information about the Undercover Policing Inquiry, see our UCPI FAQ.