Still Waiting

We are still awaiting the outcome of the De Menezes inquiry into the conduct of the Metropolitan police after he shooting. The conclusions: criminal offences for all concerned are a poor outcome for those directed to stop a suspected "suicide bomber". Who will be willing to volunteer for such a duty, knowing that you could face criminal charges, whilst those responsible for feeding you incorrect intelligence or setting procedures on shooting, remain untouched by the investigation.

The commission has refused to detail the nature of the alleged offences which the CPS could potentially have to consider, although it is believed they could be as serious as murder or manslaughter. It has also refused to comment on the number of officers interviewed, although reports have previously claimed it is around ten. However, it has confirmed that Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, was not among those interviewed by the investigators.

If future incidents show that security is compromised because officers and soldiers in the line of duty are too vulnerable to criminal charges, this willbe an unpromising turn. It is difficult to gauge how such cases should be handled but the government's zealous support for its  favoured  chambers (sorry, human rights agenda)  has  resulted in  an inappropriate application of the criminal justice system to the armed forces and, possibly, the police. Hopefully, one of its adherents may find that his actions have to be accounted for:

There are a total of 30 witnesses to the shooting and 600 statements have been taken during the course of the investigation. Mr de Menezes’s family have also complained about the conduct of Sir Ian and a second IPCC investigation into their allegations is under way.