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More than 300 Metropolitan police officers and staff have obeyed an order to tell their bosses if they are members of hierarchical organisations such as the Freemasons, the high court has heard.
Britain’s largest force announced the policy last month and it has met fierce opposition from bodies representing Masons. They have taken legal action to seek an injunction, claiming it amounts to religious discrimination and breaches human rights laws.
Mr Justice Chamberlain said the arguments about whether an injunction was needed to block the policy, before a full hearing, would be decided this week.
The high court judge wrote in a ruling published on Monday: “There is no pressing need for immediate interim relief at this stage, given that some 300 officers and staff have already declared their involvement in masonic and other hierarchical associations.
“There is no suggestion that the defendant plans to take any disciplinary action against any officer or staff member for not making a declaration in the next few weeks.”
Chamberlain said the Met had “agreed to consider whether to withdraw the challenged decision in the light of representations” by the groups representing the Masons. So far, 316 officers and staff have revealed their affiliation.
The injunction is being sought by the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the Order of Women Freemasons, the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons and a fourth party known under the cipher FSK.
The court will also decide whether FSK can continue to have anonymity, the ruling says, because the Met claims its “involvement with the Freemasons may already be public” through appearing on a Facebook posting.
Adrian Marsh, grand secretary of UGLE, told the Guardian that the applicant in the high court claim was a serving Met officer, but denied they had sought anonymity despite being outed as a Mason on social media: “We do not believe he has publicly identified himself as a Mason, as the Met has alleged.”
The Met policy orders officers and staff to declare any past or present membership of any organisation that is “hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other”.
The Met has vowed to defend the case as it sees the policy as part of its fight to restore trust and credibility. A case currently under investigation involves claims of masonic influence and alleged wrongdoing.
Freemasonry has long been followed by some police officers who have set up lodges including the Manor of St James’s for Met officers and Sine Favore for Police Federation members.
The Met says a survey of its officers and staff shows that two-thirds back the restriction because it “affects public perception of police impartiality”. There have also been claims that masonic membership could be linked to corruption.
The Freemasons say only 5% of staff took part in the Met survey and the policy amount to religious discrimination because its members are required to have religious faith. They also say it breaches human rights and data privacy laws.
