Freemason organizations have launched legal action against the Metropolitan Police over a new policy requiring officers and staff to declare their membership in Freemasonry. The United Grand Lodge of England, along with the Order of Women Freemasons and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons, sent a letter before claim threatening a judicial review of the decision.
The Met announced the policy earlier this month. Officers and staff must now declare membership, past or present, in any "hierarchical organisations" that have "confidential membership" and require members to "support and protect each other".
Origin in murder investigation
The requirement stems from a 2021 report into the Met's handling of the unsolved 1987 murder of private detective Daniel Morgan. The 37-year-old father-of-two was killed with an axe in a car park in Sydenham, south-east London on March 10, 1987.
The Daniel Morgan Independent Panel found that police officers' membership of the Freemasons had been «a source of recurring suspicion and mistrust in the investigations» related to the case. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley pushed for the declaration plan as part of wider transparency efforts.
Freemasons call policy discriminatory
The Freemason bodies describe the Met's consultation process as «wholly inadequate, prejudicial and unjust». They claim less than five percent of officers and staff completed the survey on the issue.
Adrian Marsh, grand secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England, said in a statement: «Freemasonry has the highest moral and ethical standards – standards that have been a cornerstone of its identity since the earliest days of organised Freemasonry over 300 years ago. The decision by the Metropolitan Police casts an aura of mistrust over the entire Freemason community.»
He added: «Given the obvious, detrimental impact on our members, United Grand Lodge of England, Order of Women Freemasons and Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons consider that we now have no choice but to take legal action to challenge this unlawful decision. We do not take this decision lightly but feel that we are left with no other options, in order to defend the rights of those in our membership, both male and female, present and past, that serve the people of London loyally in any capacity under the banner of the Metropolitan Police.»
The Freemason organizations warn the policy could undermine public credibility of Freemasons and potentially breach human rights and data protection rules. They are demanding the Met suspend the decision or face judicial review.
The Met survey found two thirds of respondents felt membership in such organizations affects perception of police impartiality and public trust.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
