Undercover Policing Inquiry, evidence hearings

The Undercover Policing Inquiry begins in November 2019. The first hearings will cover events from the formation of the Special Demonstration Squad in 1968 until 1972.

The first seven days (2-10 November) will hear opening statements from involved parties. After this, the Inquiry will be hearing evidence from witnesses for another seven days (11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18 & 19 November). The evidence hearings will not be livestreamed, but there will be a live transcript with a ten minute delay.

COPS 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 our home page.

Here is the schedule for the evidence hearings. Lunch breaks will typically take place between 1pm and 2pm. Shorter breaks will take place several times each day but at times that suit the proceedings rather than at a fixed time.

• UCPI Evidence Hearings | Day 8 (Wednesday 11 November)
  • 10:00 AM: Tariq Ali
  • 2:00 PM: Tariq Ali

  UCPI Evidence Hearings | Day 9 (Thursday 12 November)

  • 10:00 AM: Officer HN 329
  • 2:00 PM: Ernest Tate (written statement read in full by Rajiv Menon QC)
  • 2:30 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 218
  • 3:30 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 334

  UCPI Evidence Hearings: | Day 10 (Friday 13 November)

  • 10:00 AM:Officer HN 328
  • 2:00 PM: Officer HN 326
  • 4:45 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 330
  • 4:50 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 321
  • 4:55 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 322

  UCPI Evidence Hearings: | Day 11 (Monday 16 November)

  • 10:00 AM: Officer HN 336
  • 2:00 PM: Officer HN 340
  • 4:55 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 333

  UCPI Evidence Hearings: | Day 12 (Tuesday 17 November)

  • 2:00 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 45
  • 4:00 PM: Dr Norman Temple

  UCPI Evidence Hearings: | Day 13 (Wednesday 18 November)

  • 10:00 AM: Officer HN 347
  • 2:00 PM: Officer HN 348
  • 4:50 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 339
  • 4:55 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 349

  UCPI Evidence Hearings: | Day 14 (Thursday 19 November)

  • 10:00 AM: Officer HN 345
  • 12:55 PM: Summary of evidence of Officer HN 343

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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