Austin Mitchell MP has given me permission to post the following on my website.
PRESS RELEASE
FROM AUSTIN MITCHELL MP
Chair All Party Parliamentary Photography Group
Tel 0207 219 4559 or 01472 342145
Friday 12 March 2010
TIME TO STOP HASSELLING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND RECOGNISE THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS A RIGHT NOT A TERRORIST OFFENCE
Last year I led a delegation of representatives of the photographic press, the Royal Photographic |Society, the Professional Photographers and interested MPs to the then Minister of State at the Home Office, Vernon Coaker, to protest at the number of photographers being stopped taking photographs of public buildings and other places by junior Police officers and PCSOs on the pretext of possible use of the photos by terrorists.
We were then given assurances that Police and PCSOs would be asked not to discourage and inhibit photographers in this way.
Since then the Metropolitan Police’s statistics show that the number of such incidents has fallen heavily but both I and the rest of the delegation have still been getting too many complaints of photographers, both amateur and professional, being stopped from taking photographs of all sorts of public places and buildings, from St. Paul`s and the Palace of Westminster, to fish and chip shops, parks, buses and trains, on the grounds that they might be used for terrorist purposes.
I, therefore, went back with the photographic delegation to put our case to the new Minister of State at the Home Office, David Hanson. We asked that photography be recognised a right , that circulars should be issued by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers asking Police and PCSOs not to inhibit photography and that this should be included in training courses for both.
The Minister agreed to our suggestions and committed himself to encourage Police Forces to take up a more supportive attitude to photography and to encouraging it. He agreed that there was no reason for photographers to show their photographs to Police Officers or to delete them, indicated that section 44 of the Anti-terrorist legislation only operated in a small number of designated strategic areas and should not be used elsewhere, and agreed to establish a channel of communication to enquire into any complaints of future incidents and stops sent to us by the public. We welcome his commitment and support which is conveyed in his own statement after the meeting.
“I met this afternoon with Austin Mitchell MP, members of the Parliamentary All Party Photography Group and representatives of the photographic press and the Royal Photographic Society to discuss the issue of terrorism powers in relation to photography.”
“I welcomed the opportunity to reassure all those concerned with this issue that we have no intention of Section 44 or Section 58A being used to stop ordinary people taking photos or or to curtail legitimate journalistic activity.
"Guidance has been provided to all police forces advising that these powers should not be used to stop innocent member of the public, tourists or responsible journalists from taking photographs.
"These powers are intended to help protect the public and those on the front line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack. For the 58A offence to be committed, the information would have to raise a reasonable suspicion that it was intended to be used to provide practical assistance to terrorists.”
“I have committed to writing to Austin Mitchell MP to reinforce this message and to follow-up on the representations made to me at today’s meeting.”
Additional lines
Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (which came into force on 16 Feb 2009) inserts a new section 58A into the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 58A creates a new offence of eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of the armed forces, intelligence services or police which is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Taking photographs of police officers would not (except in very exceptional circumstances) be caught by this offence. Any prosecution would need to meet the public interest test applied by prosecutors and there is also a statutory defence that the person had a reasonable excuse for eliciting, publishing or communicating the information.”
-ends-
PRESS RELEASE
FROM AUSTIN MITCHELL MP
Chair All Party Parliamentary Photography Group
Tel 0207 219 4559 or 01472 342145
Friday 12 March 2010
TIME TO STOP HASSELLING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND RECOGNISE
THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS A RIGHT NOT A TERRORIST OFFENCE
Last year I led a delegation of
representatives of the photographic press, the Royal Photographic |Society, the
Professional Photographers and interested MPs to the then Minister of State at the Home Office, Vernon
Coaker, to protest at the number of photographers being stopped taking
photographs of public buildings and other places by junior Police officers and
PCSOs on the pretext of possible use of the photos by terrorists.
We were then given assurances that Police
and PCSOs would be asked not to discourage and inhibit photographers in this
way.
Since then the Metropolitan Police’s
statistics show that the number of such incidents has fallen heavily but both I
and the rest of the delegation have still been getting too many complaints of
photographers, both amateur and professional, being stopped from taking
photographs of all sorts of public places and buildings, from St. Paul`s and
the Palace of Westminster, to fish and chip shops, parks, buses and trains, on
the grounds that they might be used for terrorist purposes.
I, therefore, went back with the
photographic delegation to put our case to the new Minister of State at the
Home Office, David Hanson. We asked that
photography be recognised a right , that circulars should be issued by the Home
Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers asking Police and PCSOs not
to inhibit photography and that this
should be included in training courses for both.
The Minister agreed to our suggestions and committed
himself to encourage Police Forces to take up a more supportive attitude to photography
and to encouraging it. He agreed that there was no reason for photographers to
show their photographs to Police Officers or to delete them, indicated that
section 44 of the Anti-terrorist legislation only operated in a small number of
designated strategic areas and should not be used elsewhere, and agreed to
establish a channel of communication to enquire into any complaints of future
incidents and stops sent to us by the public. We welcome his commitment and
support which is conveyed in his own statement after the meeting.
“I met this afternoon
with Austin Mitchell MP, members of the Parliamentary All Party Photography
Group and representatives of the photographic press and the Royal Photographic
Society to discuss the issue of terrorism powers in relation to
photography.”
“I welcomed the
opportunity to reassure all those concerned with this issue that we have no
intention of Section 44 or Section 58A being used to stop ordinary
people taking photos or or to curtail legitimate journalistic activity.
"Guidance has been
provided to all police forces advising that these powers should not be
used to stop innocent member of the public, tourists or
responsible journalists from taking photographs.
"These powers
are intended to help protect the public and those on the front
line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack. For the 58A offence
to be committed, the information would have to raise a reasonable suspicion
that it was intended to be used to provide practical assistance to terrorists.”
“I have committed to
writing to Austin Mitchell MP to reinforce this message and to follow-up on the
representations made to me at today’s meeting.”
Additional lines
Section 76 of the
Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (which came into force on 16 Feb 2009) inserts a new
section 58A into the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 58A creates a new offence of
eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of the armed
forces, intelligence services or police which is of a kind likely to be useful
to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Taking photographs of police officers would not (except in very exceptional
circumstances) be caught by this offence. Any prosecution would need to meet
the public interest test applied by prosecutors and there is also a statutory
defence that the person had a reasonable excuse for eliciting, publishing or
communicating the information.”
-ends-
PRESS RELEASE
FROM AUSTIN MITCHELL MP
Chair All Party Parliamentary Photography Group
Tel 0207 219 4559 or 01472 342145
Friday 12 March 2010
TIME TO STOP HASSELLING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND RECOGNISE
THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS A RIGHT NOT A TERRORIST OFFENCE
Last year I led a delegation of
representatives of the photographic press, the Royal Photographic |Society, the
Professional Photographers and interested MPs to the then Minister of State at the Home Office, Vernon
Coaker, to protest at the number of photographers being stopped taking
photographs of public buildings and other places by junior Police officers and
PCSOs on the pretext of possible use of the photos by terrorists.
We were then given assurances that Police
and PCSOs would be asked not to discourage and inhibit photographers in this
way.
Since then the Metropolitan Police’s
statistics show that the number of such incidents has fallen heavily but both I
and the rest of the delegation have still been getting too many complaints of
photographers, both amateur and professional, being stopped from taking
photographs of all sorts of public places and buildings, from St. Paul`s and
the Palace of Westminster, to fish and chip shops, parks, buses and trains, on
the grounds that they might be used for terrorist purposes.
I, therefore, went back with the
photographic delegation to put our case to the new Minister of State at the
Home Office, David Hanson. We asked that
photography be recognised a right , that circulars should be issued by the Home
Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers asking Police and PCSOs not
to inhibit photography and that this
should be included in training courses for both.
The Minister agreed to our suggestions and committed
himself to encourage Police Forces to take up a more supportive attitude to photography
and to encouraging it. He agreed that there was no reason for photographers to
show their photographs to Police Officers or to delete them, indicated that
section 44 of the Anti-terrorist legislation only operated in a small number of
designated strategic areas and should not be used elsewhere, and agreed to
establish a channel of communication to enquire into any complaints of future
incidents and stops sent to us by the public. We welcome his commitment and
support which is conveyed in his own statement after the meeting.
“I met this afternoon
with Austin Mitchell MP, members of the Parliamentary All Party Photography
Group and representatives of the photographic press and the Royal Photographic
Society to discuss the issue of terrorism powers in relation to
photography.”
“I welcomed the
opportunity to reassure all those concerned with this issue that we have no
intention of Section 44 or Section 58A being used to stop ordinary
people taking photos or or to curtail legitimate journalistic activity.
"Guidance has been
provided to all police forces advising that these powers should not be
used to stop innocent member of the public, tourists or
responsible journalists from taking photographs.
"These powers
are intended to help protect the public and those on the front
line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack. For the 58A offence
to be committed, the information would have to raise a reasonable suspicion
that it was intended to be used to provide practical assistance to terrorists.”
“I have committed to
writing to Austin Mitchell MP to reinforce this message and to follow-up on the
representations made to me at today’s meeting.”
Additional lines
Section 76 of the
Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (which came into force on 16 Feb 2009) inserts a new
section 58A into the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 58A creates a new offence of
eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of the armed
forces, intelligence services or police which is of a kind likely to be useful
to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Taking photographs of police officers would not (except in very exceptional
circumstances) be caught by this offence. Any prosecution would need to meet
the public interest test applied by prosecutors and there is also a statutory
defence that the person had a reasonable excuse for eliciting, publishing or
communicating the information.”
-ends-
PRESS RELEASE
FROM AUSTIN MITCHELL MP
Chair All Party Parliamentary Photography Group
Tel 0207 219 4559 or 01472 342145
Friday 12 March 2010
TIME TO STOP HASSELLING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND RECOGNISE
THAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS A RIGHT NOT A TERRORIST OFFENCE
Last year I led a delegation of
representatives of the photographic press, the Royal Photographic |Society, the
Professional Photographers and interested MPs to the then Minister of State at the Home Office, Vernon
Coaker, to protest at the number of photographers being stopped taking
photographs of public buildings and other places by junior Police officers and
PCSOs on the pretext of possible use of the photos by terrorists.
We were then given assurances that Police
and PCSOs would be asked not to discourage and inhibit photographers in this
way.
Since then the Metropolitan Police’s
statistics show that the number of such incidents has fallen heavily but both I
and the rest of the delegation have still been getting too many complaints of
photographers, both amateur and professional, being stopped from taking
photographs of all sorts of public places and buildings, from St. Paul`s and
the Palace of Westminster, to fish and chip shops, parks, buses and trains, on
the grounds that they might be used for terrorist purposes.
I, therefore, went back with the
photographic delegation to put our case to the new Minister of State at the
Home Office, David Hanson. We asked that
photography be recognised a right , that circulars should be issued by the Home
Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers asking Police and PCSOs not
to inhibit photography and that this
should be included in training courses for both.
The Minister agreed to our suggestions and committed
himself to encourage Police Forces to take up a more supportive attitude to photography
and to encouraging it. He agreed that there was no reason for photographers to
show their photographs to Police Officers or to delete them, indicated that
section 44 of the Anti-terrorist legislation only operated in a small number of
designated strategic areas and should not be used elsewhere, and agreed to
establish a channel of communication to enquire into any complaints of future
incidents and stops sent to us by the public. We welcome his commitment and
support which is conveyed in his own statement after the meeting.
“I met this afternoon
with Austin Mitchell MP, members of the Parliamentary All Party Photography
Group and representatives of the photographic press and the Royal Photographic
Society to discuss the issue of terrorism powers in relation to
photography.”
“I welcomed the
opportunity to reassure all those concerned with this issue that we have no
intention of Section 44 or Section 58A being used to stop ordinary
people taking photos or or to curtail legitimate journalistic activity.
"Guidance has been
provided to all police forces advising that these powers should not be
used to stop innocent member of the public, tourists or
responsible journalists from taking photographs.
"These powers
are intended to help protect the public and those on the front
line of our counter terrorism operations from terrorist attack. For the 58A offence
to be committed, the information would have to raise a reasonable suspicion
that it was intended to be used to provide practical assistance to terrorists.”
“I have committed to
writing to Austin Mitchell MP to reinforce this message and to follow-up on the
representations made to me at today’s meeting.”
Additional lines
Section 76 of the
Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 (which came into force on 16 Feb 2009) inserts a new
section 58A into the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 58A creates a new offence of
eliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of the armed
forces, intelligence services or police which is of a kind likely to be useful
to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Taking photographs of police officers would not (except in very exceptional
circumstances) be caught by this offence. Any prosecution would need to meet
the public interest test applied by prosecutors and there is also a statutory
defence that the person had a reasonable excuse for eliciting, publishing or
communicating the information.”
-ends-