Legal challenge to Met's Freemasons policy thrown out

A legal challenge against the Met Police over its decision to force staff to declare whether they are or have been Freemasons has been thrown out by a High Court judge.

Mr Justice Chamberlain said on Tuesday that the Met's decision "serves a legitimate aim, maintaining and enhancing public trust in policing, and is proportionate".

Three bodies representing Freemasons in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as well as two serving police officers who are Freemasons, had sought to take legal action against the force at the High Court.

It came after the Met announced in December that membership of the Freemasons or similar organisations would be added to its declarable associations policy.

This means officers and staff were required to declare membership "past or present" of any organisation that is "hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other".

Around 400 Met officers and staff have already made declarations under the policy.

In a 17-page ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said the grounds of the proposed legal challenge were not "reasonably arguable" and that the policy was not discriminatory or "unduly stigmatising" against Freemasons.

He added that leaving the decision of whether to declare membership of the Freemasons to individual officers and staff on an "ad hoc basis" would not "achieve the object of maintaining or enhancing public trust".

At a hearing on 11 February, lawyers for the two officers, the United Grand Lodge of England, the Order of Women Freemasons and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons asked Mr Justice Chamberlain to allow the challenge to proceed.