Judicial Review: Metropolitan Police to challenge decision to allow lawyers for family of Azelle Rodney to see sensitive video evidence

10.30am Thursday 11 October
Court 1, Royal Courts of Justice

Tomorrow in the Royal Courts of Justice lawyers for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) will challenge, by way of judicial reviewA type of court proceeding in which a High Court judge or judges reviews the lawfulness of the way a decision was made or and action was taken by a public body or official such as a coronerThe legal official who orders a post-mortem and who is in charge of the inquest procedure.., the decision of the Chairman of the Azelle Rodney Inquiry, Sir Christopher Holland, to allow members of the legal team for Mr Rodney’s mother, Susan Alexander, to see aerial video footage of the two hours prior to the police shooting of Mr Rodney.

The judicial reviewA type of court proceeding in which a High Court judge or judges reviews the lawfulness of the way a decision was made or and action was taken by a public body or official such as a coronerThe legal official who orders a post-mortem and who is in charge of the inquest procedure.. will be heard tomorrow in the Divisional CourtA term used to describe proceedings in the High Court (such as a judicial review) when they are heard by two or more judges. before a panel of three judges LJ Pitchford, Mr Justice Foskett, and the Chief CoronerThe legal official who orders a post-mortem and who is in charge of the inquest procedure., HH Judge Peter Thornton QC.

This hearing will examine the right of families via their lawyers to effectively oppose applications by the state to keep sensitive information secret i.e. Public Interest Immunity applications (PII).  If the MPS overturn the Chairman’s ruling of 2 October 2012, Susan Alexander’s legal team will not be able to see the footage in order to fully argue against keeping it secret. This will mean there will be no due process in the PII application expected to be heard next week, and add further to the secrecy in this case.

Susan Alexander is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Daniel Machover, partner, and Helen Stone, assistant solicitor, both of Hickman and Rose Solicitors, and Leslie Thomas, barrister, Garden Court Chambers and Adam Straw, barrister, Tooks Chambers.