APPENDIX 5
Letter to the Clerk of the Committee from
the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers
Thank you for your letter dated 9th June 1998,
seeking the Association's observations on the issue of confidentiality
of police settlements of civil claims.
Clearly this is a complex area. We support the
drive towards greater openness in public affairs, however, there
are some occasions where information need not legitimately be
released into the public domain. In our view, confidentiality
clauses can fall into that category. Such clauses are relatively
rare, and are agreed for a whole range of reasons, often at the
request of the plaintiff.
Confidentiality clauses can be a useful tool
for securing an agreement between parties where no reasoned judgement
has been given by a judge without the implication of uninformed
views being expressed about the merits of each side's case or
the level of the payment. We would not want to lose the option
of using such a useful tool in those few cases where it may be
helpful.
In terms of accountability, the chief constable
remains accountable to his/her police authority even where a confidentiality
clause exists.
I trust that my comments will help you prepare
for your meeting on 30th June 1998.
David Blakey, CBE QPM
President
23 June 1998
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