The effect of yesterday’s intervention was to diminish the chances of Gray’s report being published in full anytime soon. And it also heightened speculation about what the force is actually investigating. Scotland Yard’s said it didn’t want Gray’s report to “prejudice” its own inquiries – which had only begun when the civil servant shared her findings with the Met last weekend.
‘Scotland Yard’s request has no legal force ’
So, has Gray been snookered by talking to the police?
Experts say this isn’t the case. The Met’s request is just that – it has no legal force. “They have no legal power to cause a redaction or the report being published in some shorter version,” said Nazir Afzal , former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England.
With respect to the prejudice the Met are trying to avoid, some lawyers suggested it may refer to the risk of unfairly influencing any court case. However, contempt of court only applies when proceedings are “active”, usually when someone has been arrested.
This story is from the January 29, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 29, 2022 edition of The Guardian.
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