AMP in the post
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor won his case against the Thames Valley Police in the High Court on October 8 after a judge declared that search warrants used to raid his homes were unlawful.
Ruled Unlawful
Justice Nicholas Hilliard made his ruling after it was established that law enforcement officers made a mistake. The dispute involved the police application, which didn’t comply with the requirements of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Thames Valley Police admitted their application was made under the wrong statutory basis ahead of raiding the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following his detention and questioning about possible breaches during his time as a UK trade envoy.
Incorrect Application
Per Law Commentary, “police should have sought the warrants under Section 9 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which governs access to certain protected or ‘special procedure’ material, rather than the Section 8 route they used.”
AMP in the post
The use of Section 8 instead of Section 9 resulted in the warrants being quashed as it caused a “significant error” in terms of the law.
Initiating the Challenge
According to The Telegraph, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, “Shortly after being released under investigation…lodged a judicial review arguing that the police action had overstepped the mark and was unlawful.”
As noted by AOL, while the decision marks a distinct tactical victory for the former prince, it hasn’t killed off the criminal case itself.
AMP in the post
According to The Guardian, “Hilliard said the search warrants were quashed but police had made an application, which would be heard next year, to retain the seized property on the basis that it would have been lawful to take it under a different statutory provision.”
Viewers React
When Channel 4 News posted a report on YouTube questioning whether the misconduct case was now at risk, viewers were able to weigh in with their thoughts.
One person wrote, “Easiest way to stop any accountability. If this happens all the time, then maybe you need to train your officers and hold them to account.”
Here are a few more responses from the discussion:
- “What a surprise, yet again we are taken for mugs.”
- “what a surprise Prince Andrew gets away with it how come we didn’t see that coming…not.”
- “They really do think people in the UK are stupid.”
- “Every major news outlet disabled comments on their YouTube clips of today’s High Court proceedings, effectively silencing the public. Only later did a few brave channels open the floor.”
The criminal investigation into misconduct in public office keeps moving forward, even as the seized materials against the former prince sits in legal limbo.
What are your thoughts? Join the discussion and then come back for more royal family news and updates.