Prince Harry loses challenge to pay for police protection in UK
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Loading... - Masika Khaled
- 23 May 2023
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Prince Harry's attempt to secure private payments for police protection has been dismissed in a recent legal case. The prince's legal team sought a judicial review after his offer to personally finance his security arrangements in the UK was rejected, following his decision to step away from his royal duties. However, a judge has denied permission for a hearing on the matter. The Home Office lawyers opposed the notion of allowing affluent individuals to essentially "purchase" police protection. The ruling was made following a brief court hearing in London.
In the aftermath of this ruling, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, were involved in a harrowing incident in New York described by their spokesperson as a "near catastrophic car chase" with paparazzi. Nevertheless, during the previous week's proceedings at the High Court, Prince Harry's legal representatives challenged the decision to turn down his request for private funding of police protection for himself and his family when they visit the UK.
When Prince Harry stepped down as a "working royal" in 2020, it resulted in a reduction of his security privileges. However, Prince Harry contested the decision-making process employed by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (commonly known as Ravec), which is responsible for security matters concerning high-profile individuals, including senior members of the royal family. "Ravec has overstepped its authority and power by making this decision in the first place," argued Prince Harry's lawyers in court. They contended that relevant legislation permits payment for "special police services," asserting that "payment for policing is not contrary to the public interest or public confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service."
Conversely, the Home Office lawyers contended that the discussed form of protection, potentially involving "specialist officers as bodyguards," differs from the funding allocated for additional policing at football matches. A representative for the Metropolitan Police, acting as a barrister, argued that exposing officers to danger due to "payment of a fee by a private individual" would be unreasonable. The Home Office's legal team asserted that the Ravec committee had unanimously rejected the private payment offer, emphasizing their policy of opposing the idea that "a wealthy person should be permitted to 'buy' protective security." They further maintained that the Ravec committee was not obligated to allow Prince Harry to present his case and that the chances of the decision being altered were minimal. The Home Office's lawyers informed the court, "Considering the nature of the claimant's current arguments, the court can confidently conclude that such representations would have had little, if any, significant impact."
Last July, Prince Harry achieved success in obtaining approval for legal reviews of the decision-making process regarding his security arrangements, but these reviews have yet to take place. However, his recent challenge to finance his security costs privately has been unsuccessful, despite his previous statement that he wished to avoid burdening the taxpayer.
