Masonic leaders say the Metropolitan Police\u2019s new requirement is discriminatory<\/p>\n
Freemasons have asked the UK High Court for an emergency injunction to block the Metropolitan Police\u2019s new requirement that officers and staff must declare if they are members of Freemasonry or similar groups, according to media reports.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nThe policy is part of ongoing investigations into alleged masonic influence within the department. \u00a0
\nThe move seeks to halt enforcement of the rule while a full judicial review is prepared, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) reportedly said on Monday.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nUGLE, which represents Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, has opposed the policy, arguing that classifying Freemasonry as a \u201cdeclarable\u201d association amounts to religious discrimination. \u00a0
\nUnder the policy introduced in December, officers and staff must disclose current or past membership in any organization that is \u201chierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other.\u201d \u00a0
\nIn its court filing, UGLE said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley \u201cis making up the law on the hoof\u201d and accused the force of \u201cwhipping up conspiracy theories\u201d about Freemasons\u2019 influence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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UGLE grand secretary Adrian Marsh said the police decision to add Freemasonry to the force\u2019s declarable association list was made without adequate consultation and risks impugning members\u2019 integrity. \u00a0
\n\u201cThere is a contradiction between the Met acceptance of our request for fuller consultation\u2026 but then refusing to suspend the decision pending the outcome of that consultation,\u201d The Guardian quoted Marsh as saying. \u00a0
\nHe previously stated that there are 440 Freemasons among the Met\u2019s 32,135 officers, asserting that it is \u201cinconceivable\u201d for this small number to exert any influence on the force. \u00a0
\nThe Metropolitan Police has said it will \u201crobustly defend\u201d the policy, which it views as part of efforts to restore public trust and confidence. A spokesperson said the changes were made to ensure there is \u201cno opportunity for secret loyalties\u201d to affect policing. \u00a0
\nThe requirement follows a recommendation from the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, which examined police handling of the unsolved 1987 murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan. The panel\u2019s 2021 report said officers\u2019 links to Freemasonry had been \u201ca source of recurring suspicion and mistrust\u201d during investigations and followed decades of inquiries that raised allegations of corruption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Masonic leaders say the Metropolitan Police\u2019s new requirement is discriminatory Freemasons have asked the UK High Court for an emergency injunction to block the Metropolitan Police\u2019s new requirement that officers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25344,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t