New rules giving anonymity to firearms officers accused of murder put police above the scrutiny faced by the rest of the public, the head of the charity Inquest has warned.
The legal change, being put before Parliament this week, was first announced in the autumn after Metropolitan Police officer Martyn Blake was cleared of the murder of Chris Kaba.
Mr Kaba was fatally shot in Streatham, south-east London, in September 2022 after trying to ram his way past police cars that had blocked him in.
Deborah Coles, director at Inquest, said: “Introducing a presumption of anonymity for firearms officers sets a dangerous precedent: that police officers are above the scrutiny faced by everyone else.
“It chips away at open justice and risks further eroding public trust in policing. There is no evidence to justify this sweeping protection, especially when courts already have powers to grant anonymity in exceptional cases.
“One rule for them and another for the public is not justice – it is impunity.”
Mr Blake was allowed to be named during his Old Bailey trial in the same way that any other suspect accused of murder would be, but orders were put in place banning the publication of his address or any description or photograph of him.
After the trial, it could be reported that Mr Kaba was a core member of one of London’s most dangerous gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the six days before he was killed.
There were claims that Mr Blake was left with a bounty on his head after his trial, and questions were raised as to whether he should have been prosecuted.
The officer is waiting to find out whether he will face misconduct proceedings over the incident.
The legal changes are being put forward as an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, giving officers accused of murder anonymity up to the point of conviction, along with other reforms aimed at speeding up such cases.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Police officers in specialist roles who make split-second decisions to keep the public safe must have the confidence to carry out their duties, knowing that the systems which hold them to account for their decisions are fair.
“Too often those processes have involved unacceptable delays and confusion, which has been damaging both for the police and the public. These changes will help to boost confidence that the system will work swiftly and effectively for all those involved.”
