The Metropolitan Police (MPS, ‘the Met’) is a core participant in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
Its interests are fourfold:
- As the body which oversaw the undercover units when they were operational, and thus holding its records.
- As the former employer of the undercovers and their managers.
- As having a vested interest in the tactic of undercover policing.
- Its role in the investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the Macpherson Inquiry.
As such it has separate entities looking after these different aspects.
Regarding the undercover officers of the Special Demonstration Squad, it has a role as their employers. However, it has been recognised that the interests of the Metropolitan Police itself and the former officers are somewhat different. Thus, the Designated Lawyers (sometimes ‘DL’) are an independent set of solicitors who directly represent the interests of the former undercover officers and managers in the Inquiry itself. They are distinct from the Metropolitan Police’s own representation in the Inquiry, which is distinguished as the Commissioner’s Lawyer (or ‘CL’).
Within the Metropolitan Police is the Inquiry and Review Support Command (IRSC), formerly the Assistant Commissioners Public Inquiries Team (AC-PIT), which sits within the Directorate of Professional Standards. It has responsibility for coordinating the Met’s response and interactions with the Undercover Policing Inquiry, along with the Directorate of Legal Services. The IRSC was initially set up to manage the requirements of the Undercover Policing Inquiry, though its remit has since been extended to other inquiries.
Also within the Metropolitan Police is Operation Herne which was the original investigation into the Special Demonstration Squad and took control of the relevant records.
A whistleblower raised concerns that documents relating to undercover policing were being deliberately destroyed and became subject of an investigation by the Independent Office of Police Complaints. This led to the Inquiry seeking assurances of the Metropolitan Police regarding its efforts to protect relevant material. For more see under Assurance (topic).
As well as providing disclosure, the Metropolitan Police has been active in the Inquiry, in particular making its own applications for anonymity of former officers, providing witness statements on various issues and making submissions, often in defence of undercover policing.
For the Inquiry’s procedural hearings it had regularly appointed Jonathan Hall KC of 6 Kings Bench Walk Chambers to act on its behalf. He has since been appointed as the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation and his role has been taken instead by Peter Skelton KC (chambers: 1 Crown Office Row), assisted by Amy Mannion. Skelton had previously acted for the Metropolitan Police in the case brought against the by eight women deceived into relationships by undercovers.
According to a January 2022 press release, the MPS had spent over £30m on the Inquiry. It also claimed that it had:
- Disclosed to the Inquiry more than 80,000 documents and electronic exhibits, totalling more than 600,000 pages.
- Responded to more than 230 Rule 9 requests and follow-up requests.
- Provided more than 100 witness statements (both under the Rule 9 process and voluntarily or within applications).
- Assisted in the review and redaction of more than 3,700 documents, totalling more than 40,000 pages.
- Been invited to consider making anonymity applications for almost 200 people – in a number of cases applications were not made.