Met Commissioner: "I cannot guarantee photography guidelines will be rightly interpreted"

One law for US , and another law for them

Having followed so many of these unnecessary stops, and hassling of photographers over the past couple of years, when it seems to have got worse not better, I have come to the conclusion that until the law is properly applied to police officers, and until we actually see a few transgressors actually publicly punished for taking the law into their own hands, the poor quality police behaviour we keep hearing about will not go away.

It is obviously going to take more than Government spokespeople of Police representatives assuring us again and again.

Police officer, Community Police persons, security guards, should be taught the law properly. if they act outside of it then they should be suitably reprimanded, and punished.

This includes preventing members of the press from working, interfering with amateur photographers, and greater offences such as assault.

We know these offences occur because we keep seeing them. It is now time to see justice dispensed to police officers as well as the rest of us.

In a fair and equal society like ours it is only right and proper

Action by Clegg, see the Clegg website

Very clear, the last government were going to clarify the law on photography. the Coalition have to as part of the clegg bonfire state clearly that anyone has the right to take photographs and that photographs can only be deleted by a judge in court.
Exception Prohibited places under Defence regulations if necessary
In the mean time threaten PO and PCO with assault if they wrongly use the laws for purposes not intended.

Bringing the cops to justice

There are two possible approaches here: first, an action in the civil courts for compensation; we have already seen damages of 3K and 5K awarded. Could be a nice pickup if you are arrested and locked in a cell. Downside of this is the copper is not punished. Second approach is to privately prosecute him in the Magistrates Court. This can be done without a solicitor. It is important to bring summary-only charges such as common assault (battery), breach of the peace, threatening behaviour, intentional harassment, alarm or distress, threatening/abusive words /behaviour, unlawful intimidation contrary to the trade union and labour relations act 1992 s41. (This latter offence is not restricted to industrial cases). The downside is that you will have to issue the proceedings against the named officer (should be on his collar or record of arrest) and send it to police headquarters pending his court appearance whereupon he will have to give his home address. This will alert the Force who will run to the CPS to ask them to take over your proceedings and drop the charges. However, once the charges are issue, if you are quick, you can alert the press and send a letter to all the police forces stating what you have done. Hopefully the publicity will have a 'chilling' effect and maker the coppers think again before unlawfully interfering with a photographer. Me? I can't wait to be stopped again now I am fully au fait with my rights and the legal situation. As to my response after arrest? I haven't decided yet.