IPCC Conditions on access to its Orgreave report effectively a ‘gagging order’
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) believes the police watchdog, the IPCC, has put the organisation in an impossible position as a result of its recent decision on access to its report on policing at Orgreave in June 1984. At its monthly meeting on Tuesday 14 April it agreed this statement.
IPCC Conditions on access to its Orgreave report effectively a ‘gagging order’
The IPCC report setting out its decision on whether there should be an investigation into the policing at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 was completed earlier this year.
However the IPCC has decided that access to the report, and the documents providing the rationale for the decision, should be severely limited, and the people who read it bound by strict terms of confidentiality. Some interested parties, and an individual complainant, have read the decision and rationale documents and complied with the IPCC conditions.
For the OTJC this would have meant that a small number of its members would have access to information but effectively they would have signed a ‘gagging order’ preventing them discussing it with other interested OTJC members and more widely.
The OTJC has therefore decided not to comply with these onerous conditions.
The OTJC strongly condemns this situation and reiterates its demand for a full transparent public inquiry into police actions at Orgreave in June 1984.
In addition the IPCC decision means that not only OTJC members but the media and the wider public will be also kept in the dark. As a strong Yorkshire Post editorial (13/04/15) commented: “Given that it is difficult to think of a more serious possible misconduct by police officers…it is inconceivable that this approach should be taken.”
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