Hundreds of Met officers and staff declare Freemasons links
More than 300 Metropolitan Police officers and staff declared they were members of Freemasons or other “hierarchical associations” after being required to do so by the force last month, a High Court judge said.
The Met announced in December that membership of Freemasons or similar organizations would be added to its declarable associations policy.
Officers and staff were required to declare “past or present” membership in any organization that “has hierarchical, confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other.”
Movement has moved Institutions representing Freemasons will take legal action On the decision of the police in the High Court.
The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), which also acts on behalf of the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF) and the Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (HFAF), said last month it had sought an injunction to suspend the policy until the full challenge was concluded.
In a court order published on Monday, January 2, Mr Justice Chamberlain said whether to grant an injunction would be decided by a judge without a hearing this week.
He said: “The contested decision purports to impose the obligation to disclose affiliations with Freemasonry and other associations.
“The requirement applies immediately.
“However, given that approximately 300 officers and personnel have already declared membership in Masonic and other hierarchical associations, there is no urgent need for immediate interim assistance at this stage.”
Chamberlain added that there was no suggestion the Met planned to take disciplinary action against officers or staff for failing to make declarations “in the next few weeks”.
The judge also said the force “agreed to consider whether the challenged decision should be withdrawn in the light of representations” from OWF and HFAF.
The Met has previously said it would “robustly defend” any appeal against its decision; This follows a survey of officers and staff that found two-thirds of respondents felt membership in such organizations affected perceptions of police impartiality and public trust.
We spoke to Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who has previously put forward a plan to declare membership as part of wider transparency in the force.
UGLE has previously said the reporting requirement could undermine Freemasons’ public credibility and breach human rights and GDPR rules. It was also claimed that less than 5% of officers and staff completed the survey on the issue.
Freemasonry is a century-old fraternal organization with nearly six million members worldwideincluding more than 200,000 in England and Wales.
Its roots go back to medieval stonemasons’ guilds, and members still meet in “lodges” to perform secret initiations and ceremonies.
The biblical figure of King Solomon is central to Freemasonry; his building of the First Temple in Jerusalem reflects the Masonic ideals of personal growth and spiritual development.
Members are required to believe in a Supreme Being, even if they do not follow a particular religion, and discussions of politics or religion are reportedly prohibited at Masonic meetings.
Masons wear symbolic aprons and progress through the degrees of membership; The phrase “giving someone the third degree” originates from the final stage of initiation.
