A recent High Court ruling has significantly hampered the Metropolitan Police's ability to dismiss officers deemed unfit for service, according to the force's head, Mark Rowley. The court determined that revoking an officer's security clearance as a means of dismissal is unlawful. This decision arose from a case involving Sergeant Lino Di Maria, who was declared unfit due to sexual assault allegations, which he denies. The ruling has sparked criticism, with Rowley stating that it leaves the Met in a 'hopeless position' and prevents the removal of officers who cannot be trusted to work with vulnerable individuals or the public.
The head of the Metropolitan Police , Mark Rowley , has stated that a recent High Court ruling has deprived the force of 'critical' powers to dismiss officers. The court determined that it is unlawful to fire officers by revoking their security clearance . This ruling stems from a case brought by Sergeant Lino Di Maria, who was deemed unfit for service due to sexual assault allegations - allegations he vehemently denies. Despite not facing charges, Di Maria challenged his dismissal as unlawful.
Rowley expressed that the ruling leaves the Met in a 'hopeless position', stating, 'Absolutely absurd. We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who are not fit to hold vetting.' He further emphasized, 'We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who were not fit to hold vetting - those who cannot be trusted to work with women, or those who cannot be trusted to enter the homes of vulnerable people.' He underscored the absurdity of the situation, pointing out that other sectors would not tolerate such a lack of accountability. Rowley noted that over 300 officers and staff are either currently undergoing or have already completed the process of having their security clearance revoked as part of an operation initiated to review historical complaints following the crimes committed by Wayne Couzens and David Carrick while serving as police constables. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, acknowledged the significant implications this ruling holds for the Met's ongoing efforts to cleanse the force. In a statement, Khan declared, 'This decision has significant implications for the work the Met is now doing to clean up the force, raise standards and rid the police of all those unfit to serve.' He reiterated his stance that there should be no sanctuary for individuals who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police. Khan pledged to work alongside the Met Commissioner to ensure relentless progress in raising standards and rebuilding public confidence in the Metropolitan Police.Khan further stated, 'No-one who has failed vetting should continue to serve in the force and we will work closely with the Commissioner, the Home Office and partners to assess the implications of this ruling.' This ruling echoes a long-standing concern raised by police leaders, who repeatedly emphasize the ease with which individuals can become police officers and the difficulty of removing them from service. Last month, Sir Mark Rowley addressed this issue on LBC, highlighting the lack of clarity in the law regarding the dismissal of officers facing questionable allegations. He stated, 'I have raised this from the day I started as Commissioner and have been promised by home secretaries throughout the last government that they would change the regulations and they haven’t.' This, he asserted, necessitates the force to rely on existing regulations, which, while deemed justified, are less clear and more ambiguous than they could be.
Metropolitan Police High Court Dismissal Security Clearance Unfit Officers Wayne Couzens David Carrick Sadiq Khan Mark Rowley
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