MPA to give financial support to the family's and police officers' legal costs in Roger Sylvester Inquest Judicial Review

35/04
7 May 2004

The Metropolitan Police Authority today agreed to pay the legal costs of Roger Sylvester’s family and eight Metropolitan police officers during a judicial review into the verdict of unlawful killing reached by the inquest into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The decision was made following legal advice that it is within the Authority’s power to fund the family in the special circumstances of this case.

The MPA’s coordination and policing committee gave the go-ahead for the “necessary and proper arrangements” to fund the family and the officers, by way of implementation of the Authority’s earlier decision to fund both parties, pending legal advice.

The decision to fund legal fees for the eight officers does not imply support for them in their action to seek a judicial review to challenge the verdict of the inquest jury.

Catherine Crawford, MPA clerk, said:

“Following legal advice from leading counsel, and in order to be even-handed in our treatment of both parties, the Authority has decided to pay the legal fees of both the police officers and the Sylvester family.

“The Authority is seeking to agree rates of charges and estimates of the total costs. Members are keen that this does not become an open-ended process and there should be a broad equality of funding for both the parties.

"The decision has been reached under exceptional circumstances, the combination of which is highly unlikely to arise again.

“The Authority’s view is that the judicial review might help define what is meant by legal restraint, as exercised by officers on operational duties and also clarify how and when it should be used.

“It may also answer some of the outstanding questions and concerns raised by Roger’s family over the circumstances surrounding his death.”

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