Femi Ashekun/
The Metropolitan Police has said it will robustly defend its new policy requiring officers and staff to declare whether they are members of the Freemasons, after the organisation’s leadership sought a High Court injunction to block the rule from taking effect.
The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), representing Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, filed papers in London on Christmas Eve, arguing the policy is unlawful and discriminatory.
Under the policy introduced earlier this month, Metropolitan Police officers and civilian staff must disclose current or past membership of any “hierarchical organisation that has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other”, a formulation that includes the Freemasons.
The force says the move, which adds Freemasonry to its “declarable associations” list, is intended to boost transparency, address perceived conflicts of loyalty and strengthen public trust in policing.
The UGLE says the requirement could breach human rights and data protection law and undermine the public credibility of Freemasonry.
It claims the consultation process for the policy was “wholly inadequate, prejudicial and unjust” and that forcing members to declare their affiliation unfairly impugns their integrity.
Freemason leaders argue the rule amounts to religious discrimination because belief in a higher power is a prerequisite for membership.
The organisation is now seeking an injunction to pause implementation of the policy while a full judicial review is pursued.
A hearing to decide whether to grant the injunction could take place within days.
The Met’s decision follows internal consultation feedback showing that roughly two-thirds of officers and staff surveyed agreed declaring such memberships was necessary because it affects perceptions of police impartiality and public trust.
The move also reflects longstanding concerns about secretive affiliations within the force, including those highlighted in the 2021 Daniel Morgan Independent Panel report, which noted that police officers’ membership of the Freemasons had been “a source of recurring suspicion and mistrust” in historical investigations.
Met Police leadership has stressed the policy does not ban membership of any organisation but aims to ensure transparency and avoid conflicts of interest.
The force says it will continue to defend its decision in court while emphasising the importance of maintaining confidence in the integrity of policing.
0Related posts:
Internal Security Dynamics and the Imperative of a New Policing Thought in Nigeria
Interrogating Two Years of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Under President Tinubu
Policing The Nigerian Federation: Integrating Community Policing In Nigerian Security Architecture
Pomp as Nigeria Police Force Crowns DIG Adeleye Oyebade’s Career with Glory
2 Nigerians, Imam on List of 32 London Sex Offenders Jailed This Year
ICAN Leaders Condemn Smear Campaign as Faceless Group Attacks Members