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HJA Civil Liberties

@hjacivillibs.bsky.social
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A dedicated feed from the Civil Liberties & Human Rights team at Hodge Jones & Allen solicitors. Protecting rights is our priority. www.hja.net/legal-services/civil-li… Tel: 0330 822 5788

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Institute of Employment Rights @ieruk.bsky.social · 18h
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) welcomes Met Police confirmation that journalists’ data is no longer retained The Catt case raises important questions about surveillance, privacy, press freedom and the limits of police powers: www.ier.org.uk/news/nuj-wel...
ier.org.uk
NUJ welcomes Met Police confirmation that journalists’ data is no longer retained - IER
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 13h
Tomorrow Bríd Doherty, Senior Associate in our team, will chair the Holborn & St Pancras Housing & Homelessness Hustings 📅 Date: Tuesday, 6 October 🕖 Time: Doors open at 19:15, kick-off at 19:30 📍 Venue: 11a Pratt Street www.streetskitchen.org/2026/10/at-l...
streetskitchen.org
At least 22 deaths, a 23% rough sleeping surge, and no RSVPs: Why are candidates dodging Camden's housing crisis? - Streets Kitchen
With the Holborn & St Pancras by-election rapidly approaching, Streets Kitchen, along with other frontline organisations, has invited candidates from across the political spectrum to our independent H...
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 13h
Camden is facing a housing emergency. Tomorrow night, Bríd Doherty chairs an independent, non-partisan Housing & Homelessness Hustings for Holborn & St Pancras candidates. Join frontline teams & local residents to demand real solutions.
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Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) @gmiau.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
‼️ A win in court ‼️ But the Home Office is still keeping families apart. The judge made a significant decision in our case this week - ruling that the Home Office should allow the mothers and children we represent to leave Gaza to reunite with their loved ones.
theguardian.com
Court quashes block on mothers and children in Gaza joining families in UK
Immigration court judge finds ‘unsafe journeys’ policy was applied unlawfully to two families
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Any solution to the crown court backlog that relies on pumping thousands more cases into magistrates' courts is bound to fail.
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Ministers have scrapped plans that would have slashed number of jury trials in England and Wales and replaced them with a judge sitting alone. It will retain plans to take away right of a defendant charged with an “either way” offence to elect Crown Court trial www.theguardian.com/law/2026/oct...
theguardian.com
Ministers drop plans to cut jury trials in England and Wales after outcry
Critics say scrapping of plans, which aimed to increase judge-alone trials to deliver swifter justice, leaves court system and victims vulnerable
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Police have launched a criminal investigation into the management of HMP Lowdham Grange after five men died in nine months. A senior coroner’s report regarding three of the men found multiple failings and missed opportunities had led to their deaths www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
independent.co.uk
Police launch criminal probe after five deaths at scandal-hit prison
Exclusive: Nottinghamshire Police are investigating after a coroner raised concerns about a string of suicides at HMP Lowdham Grange
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service has called for “awareness of espionage risks around modern vehicles”, including microphones that can by switched on remotely to listen to conversations www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Tech in cars can be used to snoop on you, Dutch spy chiefs warn
Hostile states could access cameras, microphones or GPS, says intelligence agency amid concerns over Chinese imports
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
We are proud to celebrate Black History Month. Throughout the month, colleagues across HJA will come together to celebrate, learn, share, and reflect on Black history, culture, and achievement. #BlackHistoryMonth #HonouringOurCommunities
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Det Con James Cox, formerly of West Midlands Police, has been banned from policing after mobile phones and other evidence linked to child abuse investigations were found in his house www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Wolverhampton detective stored child abuse case evidence at home
A former detective who kept sensitive case evidence at home has been barred from policing.
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Theatre producer, actor and former criminal barrister Shereener Browne has used compensation awarded in her late father's Windrush case to launch a national prize dedicated to British Caribbean playwrights www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Windrush compensation funds British Caribbean playwright prize
The winning dramatist will receive £10,000, publication and a professional theatre production.
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Metropolitan Police is “resisting” a full inquest into the death of Chris Kaba, who was shot by police in 2022, lawyers for his family told a coroner’s court www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...
standard.co.uk
Met Police 'resisting' full inquest into death of Chris Kaba, say his family
A pre-inquest review is hearing legal submissions on whether a full inquest should be held in to Chris Kaba’s death
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
We’re delighted that Raj Chada will speak at Trinity College Dublin’s University Philosophical Society on 1 October, debating: “This House Would Take the Law into Their Own Hands.” Raj will explore civil disobedience and when breaking the law may be justified. #CriminalDefence #CriminalLaw #Debate
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The Sentencing Act 2026 introduces a new Progression Model, changing how some prisoners serving Standard Determinate Sentences will be released. Sean Caulfield and Maddalena Daboval explain the key changes, including eligibility, release points and what happens after release. #CriminalDefence
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Streets Kitchen @streetskitchen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
1,720 people died while experiencing homelessness in the UK last year... 💔 ​That includes 50 children. ​Since 2017, over 10,000 people have died without a secure place to call home. This isn’t a housing statistic — it is a national scandal. www.bigissue.com/news/housing...
bigissue.com
1,700 people died while homeless in 2025. It's a 'national scandal'
Museum of Homelessness’s annual homeless deaths count found a 6.8% increase in a year. It's a warning for Andy Burnham’s pledge to end rough sleeping
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Delighted to be recognised in the Legal 500 UK 2027 rankings! HJA achieved Tier 1 rankings in Crime – General and Civil Liberties & Human Rights, with 9 further practice areas recognised and outstanding individual rankings across our team. #Legal500 #LegalGuide #Legal5002027
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StopWatch @stopwatchuk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
*NEWS* 'Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2026' shows: ⬆️ an 11% rise in stop-searches overall, mirrored in the number of arrests following searches ❓ a persistent recording gap in self-defined ethnicity of persons searched by police www.gov.uk/government/s... 🧵
gov.uk
Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2026
Statistics on stop and search, arrests for notifiable offences. This release will also include statistics on detentions under Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act previously included i...
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
We are proud to be recognised in the Legal 500 UK 2027 rankings: Tier 1 for Civil Liberties & Human Rights and Tier 3 for Administrative & Public Law. Congratulations to Claire Brigham, who has been recognised as 'Next Generation Partner' and Oliver Carter, ranked 'Leading Associate'. #Legal500
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A six-month trial of live facial recognition technology in London’s railway stations that cost more than £320,000 and almost 100 hours of police officers’ time led to one false match against a watchlist of suspects and no arrests www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Trial of live facial recognition in London stations leads to a false positive and no arrests
Freedom of information request finds six-month trial cost £320,000, used almost 100 police hours and led to just one – incorrect – alert
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Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
NEW: Liberty Investigates and The Guardian discover British Transport Police’s initial six-month trial of live facial recognition tech in London’s railway stations: - cost more than £320,000 - took nearly 100 hours of police time - resulted in no arrests www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Trial of live facial recognition in London stations ends with a false positive and no arrests
Freedom of information request finds six-month trial cost £320,000, used almost 100 police hours and led to just one – incorrect – alert
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Mark Blanco died during a 2006 gathering involving Pete Doherty, and nearly 20 years on his death remains unresolved. His mother Sheila continues to fight for answers. Representing her, Mike Schwarz urges police to revisit witness accounts and reinterview those present.
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APPEAL @appealcharity.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
What happens when the Court of Appeal corrects a miscarriage of justice — but refuses to examine how it happened? Read @mattfoot2.bsky.social article in the London Review of Books: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
Matt Foot · Short Cuts: Rejected Appeals
The judges might argue that the Court of Appeal is a court of review, whose job is simply to assess whether a conviction...
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rob evans @robevansgdn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
An undercover police officer who infiltrated leftwing and animal rights campaign groups appears to have lied to the #spycops inquiry when he claimed he did not have a sexual relationship as part of his deployment. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Undercover police officer lied to spycops inquiry about sexual relationship
Officer forced to admit relationship with woman lasting at least six months while working under fake name Dave Evans
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lawofprotest.bsky.social @lawofprotest.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The Parades Commission, set up to shield PSNI from contentious parades - and to avoid decisions being based primarily on public order grounds, but rather on human rights - relied on the police assessment, and handed parading right back to the police ... to make a decision on public order grounds.
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
An undercover police officer who used fake name Dave Evans and infiltrated leftwing & animal rights campaign groups appears to have lied to the spycops inquiry when claiming he did not have a sexual relationship as part of his deployment www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026... @robevansgdn.bsky.social
theguardian.com
Undercover police officer lied to spycops inquiry about sexual relationship
Officer forced to admit relationship with woman lasting at least six months while working under fake name Dave Evans
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Rose Booker-Macedo @chantinggoblin.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"Sixty families were crammed into 11 rooms in a barracks building with no hot water, showers or clean clothes for nine days with one toilet for 81 people, and no soap or sanitiser available. Some used toothpaste to soothe bites and one used a croissant wrapper to dress wounds."
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
An investigative journalist has filed a high court claim against the Police Service of Northern Ireland after police unlawfully obtained communications data in a covert attempt to identify a confidential journalistic source www.computerweekly.com/news/3666512...
computerweekly.com
Investigative journalist seeks damages from police over unlawful phone surveillance | Computer Weekly
An investigative journalist has filed a high court claim against the Police Service of Northern Ireland after police unlawfully obtained communications data in a covert attempt to identify a confident...
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A catalogue of failures including racism, use of force and chronic overcrowding at a Home Office processing site for people who arrive on small boat were linked to decisions made at the highest level of government, the Manston independent inquiry has heard www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Overcrowding and racism at Manston asylum centre linked to government decisions, inquiry hears
Kent facility became dangerously overburdened after ministers halted transfers to hotels
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The CCRC has sent nine more indeterminate IPP sentences cases to the Court of Appeal. So far 25 IPP cases have been referred this year with more than 250 IPPs (imprisonment for public protection) and DPPs (detention for public protection) under review www.thejusticegap.com/25-ipps-refe...
thejusticegap.com
25 IPPs referred to Court of Appeal this year as a result of CCRC review – The Justice Gap
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
An inquest can help bereaved families understand how and why a loved one died while under mental health care. Amanda Smith, Senior Associate in our #MedicalNegligence team, discusses challenges families face, legal funding and proposed reforms under the “Hillsborough Law”. #Inquest #MentalHealth
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The UK has warned countries around the world that the climate and nature crises and the coming El Niño threaten their national security and defence, presenting foreign ministries with the findings of a report suppressed under Keir Starmer www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
UK shares findings of damning climate crisis national security report suppressed under Starmer
El Niño poses critical threat to nations’ defences, says Ed Miliband in presentation to global foreign ministers
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Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In a digital age, encryption is essential to protect our privacy rights. That’s why we’re taking legal action against the Government’s attempts to break it. www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/why-we...
libertyhumanrights.org.uk
Why we’re challenging the UK Government’s attempts to break encryption - Liberty
In this digital age, encryption is essential to protect our privacy rights. That’s why we’re taking legal action against the Government’s attempts to break it.
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Streets Kitchen @streetskitchen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Pay rent, eat or keep warm? Growing numbers face hard choices as housing benefit gap grows.. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
Pay rent, eat or keep warm? Growing numbers face hard choices as housing benefit gap grows
Wirral mother among renters turning to food banks as gap between a two-bed and housing benefit hits £158 a month – rising to as much as £324 in London
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Five police forces in England, who were reported to have been using a Palantir “real-time data sharing” tool called Project Nectar that privacy campaigners raised concerns about, are ending a surveillance deal with Palantir libertyinvestigates.org.uk/articles/pal...
libertyinvestigates.org.uk
Revealed: Five police forces to drop Palantir surveillance tool - Liberty Investigates
Palantir’s UK policing ambitions take a hit as East Midlands forces end their involvement in controversial data pilot
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Christopher Poulter and Kevin Biggs, two men convicted of stealing mailbags on the evidence of corrupt British Transport Police officer Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell, have had their convictions quashed, 50 years after they were found guilty www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Men convicted on corrupt officer's evidence cleared 50 years on
Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell lied about two men being involved the theft of mailbags in Clapham in 1976.
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Police Spies Out Of Lives @spiesoutoflives.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We were unable to follow #spycops proceedings yesterday but are very proud of & immensely grateful to Helen Steel for (once again) providing blistering testimony about the abuses perpetrated by #undercover #police.
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Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
NEW from Liberty Investigates and Democracy for Sale: Five police forces to drop Palantir surveillance tool Read the full story at the link libertyinvestigates.org.uk/articles/pal...
libertyinvestigates.org.uk
Revealed: Five police forces to drop Palantir surveillance tool - Liberty Investigates
Palantir’s UK policing ambitions take a hit as East Midlands forces end their involvement in controversial data pilot
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The security service has accepted it gave evidence based on lies to three courts and that senior MI5 officers were repeatedly dishonest - the first time MI5 has accepted that lies were told to the courts while defending a violent neo-Nazi spy www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
MI5 accepts it gave evidence based on lies in neo-Nazi spy case
It is the first time MI5 has confirmed the BBC's revelation that it gave evidence based on lies in court while defending the violent informant.
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Victims of intrusive police surveillance have accused the government of seeking to cut short the spycops public inquiry that has been examining widespread misconduct committed by undercover officers, risking a ‘cover up’ @robevansgdn.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Victims say Home Office attempt to curtail spycops inquiry will result in a ‘cover-up’
Shabana Mahmood is concerned about length and £144m cost of inquiry into intrusive police surveillance
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
‘Matthew Osborne, 39, had spent 54 days in a segregation unit when he took his own life at the scandal-hit HMP Lowdham Grange in November 2023… at one point he received just three minutes of human contact in a three-day period.’ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
independent.co.uk
‘Caged like an animal, it could only end one way’: Prison segregation deaths soar
Exclusive: Matthew Osborne, 39, received just three minutes of human contact in three days and was driven to take his own life after 54 days in isolation, his family says
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Police Spies Out Of Lives @spiesoutoflives.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
New article about Home Office public consultation into future of #spycops inquiry. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Victims say Home Office attempt to curtail spycops inquiry will result in a ‘cover-up’
Shabana Mahmood is concerned about length and £144m cost of inquiry into intrusive police surveillance
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Vast troves of highly sensitive police data are lying on Microsoft cloud platforms which an official UK security assessment deemed to be vulnerable to “compromise” by foreign actors and the US government www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Sensitive UK police data vulnerable to ‘compromise’ by US government and foreign actors
Exclusive: Official UK security assessment found Microsoft cloud platform storing files was at potential risk from hostile hackers
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Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors @hodgejonesallen.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This week we shine our #Spotlight on Sasha Barton, Partner in our Civil Liberties Team. Specialising in actions against the police and human rights breaches, Sasha treats every case with immense passion. Her transparency and determination lift the burden of worry from vulnerable clients.
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Liberty @libertyhq.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today is the first hearing of our legal challenge against the UK Government’s attempts to break encryption We’re at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal alongside @privacyinternational.org and Apple to find out how our cases will be managed
Liberty's experts meet outside of court before today's Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Former Cambridgeshire Police officer Paul Street, who asked to share a female suspect's sex video with “the lads from footy”, has been jailed for four years www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Former Cambridgeshire officer jailed for 'toxic' WhatsApp culture
Former officer who asked for a suspect's sex video to show "the lads from footy" is jailed for four years.
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Police Spies Out Of Lives @spiesoutoflives.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Thank you to all parliamentarians who supported us yesterday by attending our meeting in Westminster to hear why the #spycops Inquiry must finish what it started. Don't let the Home Office shut it down & cover up the truth. The @ucpinquiry.bsky.social must continue to investigate ALL the cases.
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Open Rights Group @openrightsgroup.org · 14/09/2026
Coming up this week 🔔 It's the first of a series of townhall events delivered by the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition. Join us in London to explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by the Met. 🗓️ Thurs 17 September 🕕 6-9pm 📍The Liberation Centre Register now ⬇️
openrightsgroup.org
Safety Not Surveillance London Townhall
Join the #SafetyNotSurveillance coalition in London as we explore how AI and ‘crime-predicting’ technologies are currently being used by the Met, the harms and risks of their continues roll out, and w...
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A thirteenth Metropolitan Police officer, PC Mason O'Connor, has been dismissed following BBC Panorama's undercover investigation into the force's Charing Cross station www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Thirteenth Met Police officer sacked after Charing Cross Panorama film
PC Mason O'Connor is dismissed after a hearing found he had breached standards of professional behaviour, the Met said.
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Reform Party might go to the European Court of Human Rights - the court it wants to leave To challenge retrospective legislation ("not the British way") - but retrospective legislation (loss of indefinite leave to remain) is the core of its immigration policy
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HJA Civil Liberties @hjacivillibs.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
‘PC Idominik Efeotor posted video content about life as a black police officer under his podcast “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”… In the videos, he is critical of the Met and its directorate of professional standards (DPS)’ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Met Police officer Idominik Efeotor sacked for social media posts
Idominik Efeotor used derogatory language and broke an anonymity order, a hearing on Monday is told.
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