HJA Civil Liberties
@hjacivillibs.bsky.social
A dedicated feed from the Civil Liberties & Human Rights team at Hodge Jones & Allen solicitors. Protecting rights is our priority. https://www.hja.net/legal-services/civil-liberties-and-human-rights/ Tel: 0330 822 5788
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Thames Valley Police officer who had sex with suspect jailed
Matthew Lynch, who was based in Slough, had a relationship with the woman for six months in 2021.
www.bbc.com
A Thames Valley Police Officer was jailed this week for engaging in a relationship with a suspect during an ongoing investigation. Sasha Barton of our team represents the victim of this serious breach of trust, who has been significantly impacted by the officer’s conduct. www.bbc.com/news/article...
A police officer who put a 15-year-old girl in a headlock while arresting her for pushing through a ticket barrier has been given a community order, after being convicted of assault by beating last month www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BTP officer given community order for assaulting girl
PC Adrian Young restrained the girl by placing her in a headlock after she pushed through a barrier.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:58 PM
A police officer who put a 15-year-old girl in a headlock while arresting her for pushing through a ticket barrier has been given a community order, after being convicted of assault by beating last month www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Delighted to announce that our team has been named in The Times Best Law Firms 2026.
We’ve been recognised in the categories of “Human Rights” & “Administrative & Public Law”, a reflection of our commitment to tackling injustice in all forms and achieving accountability.
#BestLawFirms
We’ve been recognised in the categories of “Human Rights” & “Administrative & Public Law”, a reflection of our commitment to tackling injustice in all forms and achieving accountability.
#BestLawFirms
November 13, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Delighted to announce that our team has been named in The Times Best Law Firms 2026.
We’ve been recognised in the categories of “Human Rights” & “Administrative & Public Law”, a reflection of our commitment to tackling injustice in all forms and achieving accountability.
#BestLawFirms
We’ve been recognised in the categories of “Human Rights” & “Administrative & Public Law”, a reflection of our commitment to tackling injustice in all forms and achieving accountability.
#BestLawFirms
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
What an inspiring evening with Keio Yoshida was a reminder of the importance of conversation, visibility, and advocacy in the ongoing pursuit of LGBTQ+ rights.
Thank you to everyone who attended, asked thoughtful questions, and helped raise funds for The Outside Project.
#LGBTQ+ #CivilLiberties
Thank you to everyone who attended, asked thoughtful questions, and helped raise funds for The Outside Project.
#LGBTQ+ #CivilLiberties
November 12, 2025 at 8:04 PM
What an inspiring evening with Keio Yoshida was a reminder of the importance of conversation, visibility, and advocacy in the ongoing pursuit of LGBTQ+ rights.
Thank you to everyone who attended, asked thoughtful questions, and helped raise funds for The Outside Project.
#LGBTQ+ #CivilLiberties
Thank you to everyone who attended, asked thoughtful questions, and helped raise funds for The Outside Project.
#LGBTQ+ #CivilLiberties
The court of appeal ruled on Tuesday that Northamptonshire police were in contempt and had been “willfully disobedient” for repeatedly failing to obey rulings to hand over video to a woman who complained she had been wrongly arrested by three officers www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Judges set to decide fate of police chief constable guilty of contempt of court
Exclusive: Ivan Balhatchet, Northamptonshire’s chief constable, could face up to two years in jail or a fine for repeated failure to obey rulings
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM
The court of appeal ruled on Tuesday that Northamptonshire police were in contempt and had been “willfully disobedient” for repeatedly failing to obey rulings to hand over video to a woman who complained she had been wrongly arrested by three officers www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
3 names, 4 passports, 5 driving licenses, identity theft & bank accounts in false names: the public inquiry heard #spycops officer HN16 James Thomson knew it was all unlawful & immoral but he did it anyway. No charges have been brought against him for it.
youtube.com/shorts/6TI1j...
youtube.com/shorts/6TI1j...
Spycops inquiry reaction: summary of 6 Nov 2025 - the many faces of spycop HN16 James Thomson
YouTube video by Cops Campaign
youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:20 AM
3 names, 4 passports, 5 driving licenses, identity theft & bank accounts in false names: the public inquiry heard #spycops officer HN16 James Thomson knew it was all unlawful & immoral but he did it anyway. No charges have been brought against him for it.
youtube.com/shorts/6TI1j...
youtube.com/shorts/6TI1j...
More than 40 experts and organisations have written to the justice secretary calling on him to use the government’s Sentencing Bill to remove the courts’ power to remand defendants in custody for their own protection while awaiting trial www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Lammy urged to end ‘scandal’ of people imprisoned for own protection
Exclusive: Removing courts’ power would help vulnerable adults and children and ‘free up jail spaces’, experts say, in wake of recent manhunts to find missing prisoners released by mistake
www.independent.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 AM
More than 40 experts and organisations have written to the justice secretary calling on him to use the government’s Sentencing Bill to remove the courts’ power to remand defendants in custody for their own protection while awaiting trial www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
Instant reaction from the Undercover Policing Inquiry concluding 3 days questioning #spycops officer HN16 James Thomson. The Inquiry's Chair expertly unpicked his story about hunt sabs buying a gun. @tombfowler.bsky.social's joined by Donal from the Undercover Research Group
youtu.be/rJU5myo2YA0
youtu.be/rJU5myo2YA0
Spycops inquiry reaction: end of 10 Nov 2025 - HN16 James Thomson evidence day 3
YouTube video by Cops Campaign
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Instant reaction from the Undercover Policing Inquiry concluding 3 days questioning #spycops officer HN16 James Thomson. The Inquiry's Chair expertly unpicked his story about hunt sabs buying a gun. @tombfowler.bsky.social's joined by Donal from the Undercover Research Group
youtu.be/rJU5myo2YA0
youtu.be/rJU5myo2YA0
Lawrence Hume, a Metropolitan Police detention sergeant who said a detainee "deserves to be beaten up,” has become the sixth officer based at Charing Cross police station to be sacked following a BBC investigation
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Sixth Met Police officer sacked after BBC Panorama investigation
Sgt Lawrence Hume was filmed calling for a Charing Cross police station detainee to be beaten up.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Lawrence Hume, a Metropolitan Police detention sergeant who said a detainee "deserves to be beaten up,” has become the sixth officer based at Charing Cross police station to be sacked following a BBC investigation
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A former British soldier has been arrested and now faces extradition to Kenya over the alleged murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012. For 13 years, Wanjiru’s family have been fighting to find answers about who killed her, amid claims of a cover-up www.itv.com/news/2025-11...
www.itv.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:05 AM
A former British soldier has been arrested and now faces extradition to Kenya over the alleged murder of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012. For 13 years, Wanjiru’s family have been fighting to find answers about who killed her, amid claims of a cover-up www.itv.com/news/2025-11...
Former Metropolitan police officer Imran Patel allegedly used sex workers and accessed adult websites while on duty in the midst of a major investigation into behavioural standards www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Former Met police officer accused of using sex workers while on duty
Exclusive: Imran Patel, who resigned last year after reports about his conduct, is being investigated by the IOPC
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Former Metropolitan police officer Imran Patel allegedly used sex workers and accessed adult websites while on duty in the midst of a major investigation into behavioural standards www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Managers of undercover police officer James Thomson believed he had concocted a plot in which animal rights activists purportedly sought to obtain a gun to inflict a revenge attack on a political opponent, spycops public inquiry hears @robevansgdn.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Undercover police officer fabricated gun plot by animal rights activists, inquiry told
Spycops inquiry hears James Thomson lied to superiors and deceived two women into relationships
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Managers of undercover police officer James Thomson believed he had concocted a plot in which animal rights activists purportedly sought to obtain a gun to inflict a revenge attack on a political opponent, spycops public inquiry hears @robevansgdn.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
How consistently are protest rights being upheld?
The Guardian explores how new #ProtestLaws are being applied & challenged in court.
Partner, Raj Chada comments on how the courts fail to consistently apply the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights
#RightToProtest
The Guardian explores how new #ProtestLaws are being applied & challenged in court.
Partner, Raj Chada comments on how the courts fail to consistently apply the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights
#RightToProtest
Just Stop Oil protesters convicted after being denied right to state climate facts
Lawyers call for clarity over law as six are found guilty while being stopped from using defence used by fellow activists
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:53 PM
How consistently are protest rights being upheld?
The Guardian explores how new #ProtestLaws are being applied & challenged in court.
Partner, Raj Chada comments on how the courts fail to consistently apply the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights
#RightToProtest
The Guardian explores how new #ProtestLaws are being applied & challenged in court.
Partner, Raj Chada comments on how the courts fail to consistently apply the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights
#RightToProtest
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
What to expect in the coming 6 weeks of #spycops inquiry hearings. Women deceived into relationships, bereaved families' justice campaigns infiltrated, a whistleblower smeared, a family whose child died discovering a spycop stole the identity.
campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2025/11/07/u...
campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2025/11/07/u...
UCPI Daily Report, 14 Oct 2025: Opening Statements from the Spied On
Summary of the third day of spycops inquiry hearings looking at 1993-2008 - opening statements from those who were spied on
campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:45 PM
What to expect in the coming 6 weeks of #spycops inquiry hearings. Women deceived into relationships, bereaved families' justice campaigns infiltrated, a whistleblower smeared, a family whose child died discovering a spycop stole the identity.
campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2025/11/07/u...
campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2025/11/07/u...
The racial harm the Metropolitan police inflicts on black people is “institutionally defended”, with its leadership and culture protecting the force from real change, an internal review by Dr Shereen Daniels has found www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Met police’s culture makes racial harm ‘inevitable’, internal review finds
The revew, the first to focus on the racism of the institution as a whole, found a culture and leadership determined to prevent real change
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:30 AM
The racial harm the Metropolitan police inflicts on black people is “institutionally defended”, with its leadership and culture protecting the force from real change, an internal review by Dr Shereen Daniels has found www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
*NEWS* 'Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025' shows a small decrease in stop-search volumes by the higher suspicion-led standard (section 1), in contrast to creeping rises in suspicionless searches (section 60, section 342E, section 11) 🧵 www.gov.uk/government/s...
Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025
Statistics on stop and search, arrests for notifiable offences. This release will also include statistics on detentions under Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act previously included i...
www.gov.uk
November 6, 2025 at 9:38 AM
*NEWS* 'Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025' shows a small decrease in stop-search volumes by the higher suspicion-led standard (section 1), in contrast to creeping rises in suspicionless searches (section 60, section 342E, section 11) 🧵 www.gov.uk/government/s...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
"We already knew James Thomson was a self-serving liar. We now know he's an unconvincing one". A quickfire summary of the first day of the Undercover Policing Inquiry questioning #spycops officer HN16 James Thomson who will be back at the Inquiry today.
youtube.com/shorts/-JQgB...
youtube.com/shorts/-JQgB...
Spycops inquiry reaction: summary of 5 Nov 2025 - spycops James Thomson takes the stand
YouTube video by Cops Campaign
youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:44 AM
"We already knew James Thomson was a self-serving liar. We now know he's an unconvincing one". A quickfire summary of the first day of the Undercover Policing Inquiry questioning #spycops officer HN16 James Thomson who will be back at the Inquiry today.
youtube.com/shorts/-JQgB...
youtube.com/shorts/-JQgB...
A Derbyshire police officer has been charged with assaulting a 17-year-old boy at a care home following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Derbyshire Police officer charged with attacking boy at care home
The police watchdog said it followed an investigation into the police visit in March.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 9:14 AM
A Derbyshire police officer has been charged with assaulting a 17-year-old boy at a care home following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
Here's @tombfowler.bsky.social of the Spycops Info podcast with a quickfire summary of yesterday's hearing - the theft of Kevin Crossland's identity. The officer who did it, HN16 James Thomson, starts his 5 days giving evidence later this morning.
youtube.com/shorts/RC6yJ...
youtube.com/shorts/RC6yJ...
Spycops inquiry reaction: summary of 4 Nov 2025 - theft of Kevin Crossland's identity
YouTube video by Cops Campaign
youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Here's @tombfowler.bsky.social of the Spycops Info podcast with a quickfire summary of yesterday's hearing - the theft of Kevin Crossland's identity. The officer who did it, HN16 James Thomson, starts his 5 days giving evidence later this morning.
youtube.com/shorts/RC6yJ...
youtube.com/shorts/RC6yJ...
Activists could be jailed for up to six months under a new law that would criminalise protests outside the homes of MPs, peers and councillors as well as others who have stood for public office www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Activists could be jailed for six months for protesting outside MPs’ homes
Law aimed at tackling harassment will criminalise protests outside homes of MPs in England and Wales amid rise in complaints
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Activists could be jailed for up to six months under a new law that would criminalise protests outside the homes of MPs, peers and councillors as well as others who have stood for public office www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Govt tables restrictions on “cumulative” or repeat protests as amendment to Crime and Policing Bill, which, ‘combined with other anti-protest measures in the pipeline… will see the right to protest in the UK stripped to the bone.’ @libertyhq.bsky.social
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/govern...
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/govern...
Government's repeat protest restrictions worse than feared - Liberty
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
November 4, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Govt tables restrictions on “cumulative” or repeat protests as amendment to Crime and Policing Bill, which, ‘combined with other anti-protest measures in the pipeline… will see the right to protest in the UK stripped to the bone.’ @libertyhq.bsky.social
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/govern...
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/govern...
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
🚨 BREAKING: The government has tabled their plan to restrict repeat protests.
Demonstrations could now banned based on the 'cumulative disruption' that previous protests have caused in the area - regardless of if they have been organised by the same people or not.
This is worse than we feared.
Demonstrations could now banned based on the 'cumulative disruption' that previous protests have caused in the area - regardless of if they have been organised by the same people or not.
This is worse than we feared.
Government's repeat protest restrictions worse than feared - Liberty
www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk
November 4, 2025 at 3:28 PM
🚨 BREAKING: The government has tabled their plan to restrict repeat protests.
Demonstrations could now banned based on the 'cumulative disruption' that previous protests have caused in the area - regardless of if they have been organised by the same people or not.
This is worse than we feared.
Demonstrations could now banned based on the 'cumulative disruption' that previous protests have caused in the area - regardless of if they have been organised by the same people or not.
This is worse than we feared.
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
📘 Today, the European Convention on Human Rights marks its 75th anniversary.
It is available in more than 40 languages on the Court’s website.
🔗https://www.echr.coe.int/european-convention-on-human-rights
It is available in more than 40 languages on the Court’s website.
🔗https://www.echr.coe.int/european-convention-on-human-rights
November 4, 2025 at 8:32 AM
📘 Today, the European Convention on Human Rights marks its 75th anniversary.
It is available in more than 40 languages on the Court’s website.
🔗https://www.echr.coe.int/european-convention-on-human-rights
It is available in more than 40 languages on the Court’s website.
🔗https://www.echr.coe.int/european-convention-on-human-rights
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
Don’t miss Keio Yoshida, author of Pride and Prejudices: Queer lives and the law, in conversation at our LGBTQ+ Network’s event on Wednesday 12th November. The event will explore the ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights, how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to go.
#CivilLiberties #LGBTQ+
#CivilLiberties #LGBTQ+
November 3, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Don’t miss Keio Yoshida, author of Pride and Prejudices: Queer lives and the law, in conversation at our LGBTQ+ Network’s event on Wednesday 12th November. The event will explore the ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights, how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to go.
#CivilLiberties #LGBTQ+
#CivilLiberties #LGBTQ+
Reposted by HJA Civil Liberties
75 years since the European Convention on Human Rights was signed, it’s still protecting us all.
That’s why almost 300 organisations are calling on our government and politicians to REJECT the harmful claim that human rights aren’t in the public interest.
#echr #humanrights
That’s why almost 300 organisations are calling on our government and politicians to REJECT the harmful claim that human rights aren’t in the public interest.
#echr #humanrights
November 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
75 years since the European Convention on Human Rights was signed, it’s still protecting us all.
That’s why almost 300 organisations are calling on our government and politicians to REJECT the harmful claim that human rights aren’t in the public interest.
#echr #humanrights
That’s why almost 300 organisations are calling on our government and politicians to REJECT the harmful claim that human rights aren’t in the public interest.
#echr #humanrights